CLEARWATER, Fla. — As the Epiphany approaches, cultures around the world prepare with celebrations marking the arrival of the Magi to the newborn baby Jesus. 

Galette des rois is a kind of king's cake made with pastry dough that is served in France — and this version is the creation of Chef Ricardo Castro of the Chef & the Baker in Clearwater.

What You Need To Know

  • Galette des rois is a traditional French pastry made as part of the celebration of Epiphany

  • Chef Ricardo Castro's recipe trades out almond filling with guava and cheese for a touch of the Tampa Bay area

  • Castro suggests buying prepared pastry dough if you are pressed for time

  • The kind of king cake common in the United States uses bread dough

Galette des rois (cake of kings)

Quick Puff Pastry

  • 10 ounces butter, cold and cut up in small cubes
  • 4 ounces of water, cold
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 9 ounces of flour

Cheese filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 ounces powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Guava filling
  • Thinned out apricot jam for topping
  • Egg wash

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients in a mixer on speed one for four minutes, or until a cohesive mass is created
  2. Roll the dough thin and then fold it in half, chilling it for 10 minutes in between — repeat twice
  3. Then roll out the dough, leaving it about a quarter inch thick
  4. Cut two 10-inch round circles out of the dough
  5. Dock (prick) the dough with a fork, being sure to aerate the bottom dough circle more than the one to be used on top
  6. Add filling, and then cover with top pastry dough
  7. Use a fork to marry and crimp the ends of the two round pieces
  8. Use egg wash to cover top of pastry and sides
  9. After it dries a little, use a razor or a very sharp knife to cut curved lines from the middle of the pastry, extending the design all the way around
  10. Sprinkle with sugar
  11. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
  12. Once cooled, coat with thinned-out apricot jam