Chef Kar Delight

New Year Delights 2025

Wednesday January 1, 2025

King Cake

A king cake, also known as a three kings cake or a baby cake, is a cake associated in many countries with Epiphany, the celebration of the Twelfth Night after Christmas. Its form and ingredients are variable, but in most cases a fève (lit. 'fava bean') such as a figurine, often said to represent the Christ Child, is hidden inside. After the cake is cut, whoever gets the fève wins a prize. Modern fèves can be made of other materials, and can represent various objects and people.

1. France

There are two different versions of the French king cake: the galette and the gâteau. The galette des rois is a flaky puff pastry traditionally filled with frangipane. These days the filling may be fruit, chocolate or cream-based fillings. It has become a tradition for pastry chefs to create innovative versions of the galette featuring ingredients like flavored liquors, candied fruits and ganache.

The gâteau des rois associated mainly with the region of Provence in the south of France is a brioche dough decorated with candied fruit and coarse sugar.

Galette des rois

Almond Filling
· 1 cup (100g) almond flour
· 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
· pinch salt
· zest of 1/2 orange, unsprayed
· 3 1/2 ounces (100g, 7 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
· 2 large eggs, at room temperature
· 2 teaspoons rum
· 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
· 1 pound (450g) puff pastry, divided in two pieces, chilled
· a fava bean, a whole piece of almond or candied fruit to be the fève

Glaze
· 1 egg yolk
· 1 teaspoon milk

Method

1. To make the almond filling, in a medium bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Mash in the butter until it’s completely incorporated. Stir in the eggs one at a time, along with the rum and almond extract. (The mixture may not look completely smooth, which is normal.) Cover and chill.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll one piece of puff pastry into a circle about 9 1/2-inches (23cm) round. Using a pot lid, plate, or bottom of springform pan as a template, trim the dough into neat circle. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
3. Cover it with a sheet of parchment paper or plastic film, then roll the other piece of dough into a circle, trim it, and lay it on top. Chill the dough for thirty minutes.
4. Remove the dough and almond filling from the refrigerator. Slide the second circle of dough and parchment or plastic from pan so that there is only one circle of dough on the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the almond filling over the center of the dough, leaving a 1-inch (3cm) exposed border. Place a fava bean, an almond or piece of candied fruit to act as the fève (prize) somewhere in the almond filling, if you wish.
5. Brush water generously around the exposed perimeter of the dough then place the other circle of dough on top of the galette and press down to seal the edges very well. At this point, you may wish to chill the galette since it’ll be a bit easier to finish and decorate, although it’s not necessary. It can be refrigerated overnight at this point, if you wish.
6. To bake the galette, preheat the oven to 375ºF (180ºC.) Flute the sides of the dough and use a paring knife to create a design on top. Stir together the egg yolk with the milk and brush it evenly over the top – avoid getting the glaze on the sides, which will inhibit the pastry from rising at the edges. Use a paring knife to poke 5 holes in the top, to allow steam escape while baking.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the galette is browned on top and up the sides. During baking, if the galette puffs up too dramatically in the oven, you may want to poke it once or twice again with a paring knife to release the steam. Remove from the oven and slide the galette off the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack. The galette will deflate as it cools, which is normal. Serve warm or at room temperature.

2. Portugal

Bolo-rei

Bolo-rei (lit. 'king cake') is a traditional Portuguese cake eaten from the beginning of December until Epiphany. The recipe is derived from the Southern French gâteau des rois which found its way to Portugal during the 1800s when Confeitaria Nacional opened as the Portuguese monarchy's official bakery in 1829.

The cake is round with a large hole in the centre, resembling a crown covered with crystallized and dried fruit. It is baked from a soft, white dough, with raisins, various nuts and crystallized fruit. Also included is the dried fava bean, and tradition dictates that whoever finds the fava has to pay for the cake next year.

Besides being known for its colourful appearance and delicious taste, Bolo Rei is also famous for its history, representing the gifts given to baby Jesus by the Magi King. The crust of the cake represents the gold, the dried fruits and nuts represent the myrrh and its characteristic aroma represents the incense – the gifts offered to Baby Jesus in the traditional nativity scene, known as "presépio", that is also present in many Portuguese homes.

Ingredients:

· 750 g wheat flour
· 30 g baker's yeast
· 150 g butter or vegetable margarine

· 150 g sugar
· 150 g candied fruits
· 150 g nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, raisins, hazelnuts and almonds)
· 4 eggs
· Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
· 100 ml Port wine
· 1 teaspoon salt
· Powdered sugar for decoration

Instructions:

1. Finely chop the candied fruits and nuts, then add them to the Porto wine.
2. Dissolve the yeast in 100 ml of warm water and add it to a cup of flour. Mix them together and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
3. In a bowl, join the butter, sugar, lemon and orange zest. Then add the eggs, one by one.
4. When everything is well combined, add the remaining flour, sifted with salt. Knead the dough until it is soft and elastic. If it is too stiff, add a bit of warm milk. Mix in the fruit macerated in the wine.
5. Sprinkle the dough with a bit of flour, cover it with a cloth and wrap the bowl in a blanket. Let it sit in a warm environment for about 5 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
6. When the dough is ready, shape it into a ball and on a greased tray make a hole in the middle. Let the dough rise for another hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 350º F/180º C.

8. Brush the cake with a beaten egg yolk and garnish the entire surface with the remaining candied fruits and nuts.
9. Spread powdered sugar in 4 little mounds on top of the cake and bake in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes. To prevent the circle from closing, you can insert an oven-safe bowl into the hole.

3. Spain

Roscón de Reyes

Roscón is a sweet bread-based ring-shaped dessert typical of the Spanish cuisine. The Roscón de Reyes, Roscón of Kings, is traditionally eaten on the Epiphany, January 6.

The Roscón de Reyes is eaten in Spain, Latin America and the United States. Recipes vary from country to country and between cultures but tend to be similar. It generally has an oval shape due to the need to make cakes large enough for large groups. For decoration, figs, quinces, cherries, or dried and candied fruits are often, but not exclusively, used. The tradition of placing a bean, candy or figurine inside the cake that diners find in their slice is followed.

In Spain the cake consists of a sweet brioche dough aromatised with orange blossom water and decorated with slices of candied or crystallized fruit of various colors. It can be filled with whipped cream, cream, almond paste or others. The figurine traditionally represents one of the Three Wise Men Biblical Magi. A dry broad bean/fava bean is also introduced inside the roscón. It is tradition that whoever finds the bean pays for the roscón.

Ingredients

. 4 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
. ½ teaspoon salt
. 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast
. ⅓ cup milk warmed
. ⅓ cup water warmed
. 6 tablespoons butter at room temperature
. ⅓ cup granulated sugar
· zest of 1 large orange
· 2 large eggs
· 1 tablespoon brandy or rum
· 1 egg white
· 2 cups assorted candied fruit such as citrus peel, glacé cherries, dates, figs, or nuts

Instructions

Making the Dough

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, then make a well in the middle.
2. Warm the milk and water to around 115°F (46°C), then stir the yeast into the liquids until it is dissolved. Pour it into the well in the dry ingredients and mix a little of the flour into the liquid to create a thick batter. Sprinkle a little flour on top, cover, and let it rest until the batter is spongy, about 15 minutes.
3. While the dough is resting, cream the butter and sugar together until it's smooth and creamy.
4. Once the dough is spongy, add the eggs, brandy, orange rind, and a splash of water to it. Mix until the dough is elastic and a little sticky, then mix in the creamed butter and sugar until the dough is smooth.
5. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a large bowl, and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Set it in a warm, draft-free place to rise until it's doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
6. While the dough rises, grease a large baking sheet for later use.

Shaping the Roscón
1. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, then roll it out into a large rectangle measuring roughly 2 feet long by 6 inches wide (60x15 cm).
2. Roll up the dough from one of the long sides to create a log shape, pinching the seam to seal. Squeeze the ends together tightly to create a wreath or donut shape, then place it on a greased baking sheet. Hide a bean or ceramic baby Jesus figurine inside the roscón now if desired.
3. Cover the bread with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Decorating & Baking
1. Once the dough has risen, lightly beat the egg white and brush the bread with it. Decorate the roscón with the candied or dried fruits, pushing them gently into the bread so they do not fall off while it is baking.
2. Bake the bread until it's golden brown and has a minimum internal temperature of 190°F (88°C). Let it cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.
3. Slice the roscón and serve with Spanish hot chocolate. Leftovers can be frozen for up to 1 month.