These mini galettes des rois are a rich almond paste and puff pastry confection which commemorates the Epiphany. Add a twist of chocolate and pears, and it becomes the most delightful dessert!
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Christmas is right behind us and it’s now the time to celebrate Epiphany for all Catholics out there or every French family. Because, let’s be honest here, whether you a believer yourself or not, there is always a good excuse to bake these adorable mini galettes des rois. They are a tiny and adorable version of the traditional king cake “galette des rois” French people enjoy throughout January to which I added a lovely chocolaty twist.
Easy mini galettes des rois
Don’t be fooled by their stunning design, these mini galettes des rois are EASY to make! And here’s why:
- Unlike the traditional galette des rois filled with frangipane (a subtle almond pastry cream that can take quite some time to prepare), these tiny pastries are loaded with homemade almond paste instead. Here are 3 reasons why I like it: 1/ It’s super quick and easy to make; 2/ It doesn’t spread out when baking; 3/ It’s an eggless version, which is far less rich than a classic frangipane.
- You can go for ready-to-use puff pastry (OR make your own puff pastry if you’re looking for a wonderful bakery-style effect). FYI I used ready-to-use puff pastry for this recipe.
- Minimalist ingredients. In addition to the ingredients mentioned above you’ll need pears, chocolate, beaten yolk and maple syrup. That’s it!
How to assemble these mini galettes des rois?
- Start with cutting some circles in the puff pastry. You can use a cookie cutter (I used a 3.5-inch/9 cm one), a lid or a tartlet mold. There is no right or wrong when it comes to the perfect size for these galettes; it’s up to you to decide whether you want just a tiny bite or a regular dessert serving size for one person.
- Fill with the eggless almond paste, leaving a 0.25-inch (1/2 cm) border all around.
- Add tiny pieces of pear, 1 piece of dark chocolate, and a little trinket* or bean if you wish.
- Cover with the remaining circle of puff pastry, sealing the sides.
- Brush with beaten yolk, and decorate! Note that there are several rounds of brushing before baking. And when it comes to making some cuts, it’s your turn to express your creativity on every single galette (see photos).
* Side note about the little trinket. In France, the tradition states that whoever gets the little trinket (usually a tiny porcelain figurine) becomes the king or the queen of the day and receives at the same time a paper crown. The idea here is to hide a little trinket in only one of the mini galettes. But if you are hosting a party with kids, I recommend you hide one trinket in each galette so everyone is happy about the prize!
More recipes for the Epiphany:
- Bakery Style Galette des Rois with Frangipane
- Braided Almond Cream Wreath
- Kings Cake from Provence with Candied Fruits
- Brioche à Tête
If you like almond desserts:
- Easy Almond Croissants Recipe
- Almond Tuile Cookies
- Moist Almond Cardamom Cake (Swedish Semla)
- Apple Frangipane Tartlets
- Homemade Praline Paste
Pear and Chocolate Mini Galettes des Rois
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 mini galettes 1x
- Category: Cakes and pies
- Cuisine: French
These mini galettes des rois are a rich almond paste and puff pastry confection which commemorates the Epiphany. Add a twist of chocolate, pears, and it becomes the most delightful dessert!
Email me this recipe
We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!
Ingredients
- 2 puff pastry sheets or homemade puff pastry
- 2/3 cup (75g) almond flour
- 1/3 cup (50g) confectioners sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 drops almond extract (optional)
- 1 pear, peeled, cored and minced
- 8 pieces of dark chocolate
- 2 yolks, for brushing
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, for brushing
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine together almond flour, confectioners sugar, honey, water, and almond extract until a paste forms. Shape into a log, wrap up in cling film and place in refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Unfold both sheets of puff pastry and using a cookie cutter (or a tartlet mold), cut out as many circles as you can from the sheet and lay them on the prepared baking sheet. Make sure you have an even number of circles.
- Mound a bit of almond paste in the middle of half of the circles, leaving about 0.25-inch (1/2 cm) all around. Add tiny pieces of pear and one piece of chocolate. If you’d like, put a trinket (la fève!) or bean inside one or all of them.
- Brush the empty edges with beaten yolk, all over the circle of dough, and place the remaining circles on top of the ones with the filling. Press down the edges, using a fork to seal and lightly brush the top of the galettes with beaten yolk. Make small marks with a knife to draw a lovely pattern of your choice and prick the top with a toothpick to vent steam while baking. Place in the refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush the mini galettes with an additional layer of beaten yolk, a layer of maple syrup and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool slightly (mini galettes are best served at room temperature or lukewarm).
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Pear and Chocolate Mini Galettes des Rois, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
