Crafty Cookies Kitchen

Galette des Rois (Cake of Kings)

This is a traditional French Cake eaten to celebrate 12th night. This is the up to date method of preparing it. The traditional French way of serving it is the youngest person in the room hides under a table and shouts to the other party goers who gets which piece of cake. One piece is always set aside for God. The person who finds the feve in it is the king for the night and is said to have to good luck all year long.

Ingredients
1/4 cup almond paste
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 dry kidney bean or pea or nut or trinket made of china (a "feve")
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Method
1 Place the almond paste into a food processor or blender with about half of the sugar, and process until well blended.
2 Add the butter and remaining sugar using and process until smooth, then blend in 1 egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, flour and salt.
3 Set aside.
4 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
5 Butter a baking sheet or line with parchment paper, and set aside.
6 Roll out one sheet of the puff pastry into an 11 inch square (do not knead or stretch).
7 Use a large plate to trace an 11 inch circle onto the dough using the tip of a small knife.
8 Place the circle of pastry onto the prepared baking sheet.
9 Repeat with the second sheet of pastry.
10 Refrigerate both sheets.
11 Pile the almond filling onto the centre of the pastry that is on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inch margin at the edges.
12 Press the bean or feve down into the filling.
13 Place the second sheet of pastry on top, and press down the edges to seal.
14 Beat the remaining egg with a fork, and lightly brush onto the top of the gallette.
15 Use a knife to make a criss cross pattern in the egg wash.
16 Prick several small slits in the top to vent steam while baking.
17 Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
18 Remove from the oven, and dust with confectioners' sugar.
19 Return to the oven, and cook for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown.
20 Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
21 Lay a golden paper crown gently on top of the cake. This will be used to crown the person who finds the bean or feve.

Serve warm or cold.

Warning - Make sure to tell everyone that something is hidden inside the cake lest they eat it if it's inedible!

The French method of serving this cake is for the youngest person in the room to hide under the table and shout out who gets which piece. The person who gets the piece with the hidden object chooses his Queen (or her King). One piece is always set aside "for God" (it's known as "le part du Bon Dieu"). This cake is said to serve 16.

Halloween Owl Cakes

These little cup cakes make a great addition to the Halloweem tea time table as a treat for the children (and slightly older ones too).

Ingredients
Cakes
5oz (140g) softened butter
5oz (140g) caster sugar
3 medium beaten eggs
4oz (110g) self raising flour
1oz (28g) cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Icing
5oz (140g) softened butter
5oz (140g) icing sugar
1 tube of ready made orage icing
36 malteeser sweets
36 milk chocolate button sweets
16 orange jelly diamonds

Method
1 Into a large mixing bowl place the butter, sugar and eggs.
2 Place a sieve over the bowl.
3 Into the sieve place the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, push these ingredients through the sieve into the mixing bowl.
4 Beat all the ingredients together with a hand mixer for 2 - 3 minutes or until the mixture is paler and exctreemly smooth.
5 Place a tablespoon of the mixture until the cake cases are 2/3 full, repeat until all of the mixture is used up.
6 Bake immediately at 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5 for 10 - 14 minutes or until well risen and when pressed lightly the sponge should spring back up.
7 Place the baking sheets on wire cooling racks and leave for a couple of minutes.
8 Place the cupcakes onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely.9 In a medium sized bowl add the softenend butter
10 Place a seive over the bowl and spoon in the sugar, push the sicing sugar through the sieve with a wooden spoon.
11 Beat these together well until pale and fluffy.
12 Slice the risen top off the top of the cupcakes.
13 Cut the tops into 2 and reserve to one side.
14 Using a pallette knife spread some of the icing onto each of the cupcakes.
15 Place a small blob of orange icing onto a malteser.
16 Place a chocolate button on top of the orange icing.
17 Repeat stages 15 and 16 until all the maleteesers and chocolate buttons are used up.
18 Take 2 of the cut halves of sponge cake tops and place on top of the cake about 1/3 from the top.
19 Place a decorated malteeser underneath the sponge cake half.
20 Finally place a jellied diamond half way between the malteesers.
21 Repeat stagtes 19 and 20 until all the cakes are decorated.

Makes 14 - 16 cakes

NOTES
Using margarine is ok, but beware, margarine has more water in it than butter, so the taste and the texture will be altered.

Golden caster sugar or soft brown sugar may be used instead.Plain flour maybe used but increase the amount of baking powder to a heaped teasoon.

These little cup cakes make a great addition to the Halloween tea time table as a treat for the children (and slightly older ones too well hubby loved them as much as our young son and his friends!).

Ingredients
Cakes
5oz/140g butter at room temperature
5oz/140g caster sugar
3 medium beaten eggs
4oz/110g self raising flour
1oz/28g cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Icing
5oz/140g butter at room temperature
5oz/140g icing sugar
1 tube of ready made orage icing
36 malteeser sweets
36 milk chocolate button sweets
16 orange jelly diamonds

Method
1 Into a large mixing bowl place the butter, sugar and eggs.
2 Place a sieve over the bowl.
3 Into the sieve place the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, push these ingredients through the sieve into the mixing bowl.
4 Beat all the ingredients together with a hand mixer for 2 - 3 minutes or until the mixture is paler and exctreemly smooth.
5 Place a tablespoon of the mixture until the cake cases are 2/3 full, repeat until all of the mixture is used up.
6 Bake immediately at 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5 for 10 - 14 minutes or until well risen and when pressed lightly the sponge should spring back up.
7 Place the baking sheets on wire cooling racks and leave for a couple of minutes.
8 Place the cupcakes onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely.
9 In a medium sized bowl add the softenend butter
10 Place a seive over the bowl and spoon in the sugar, push the sicing sugar through the sieve with a wooden spoon.
11 Beat these together well until pale and fluffy.
12 Slice the risen top off the top of the cupcakes.
13 Cut the tops into 2 and reserve to one side.
14 Using a pallette knife spread some of the icing onto each of the cupcakes.
15 Place a small blob of orange icing onto a malteser.
16 Place a chocolate button on top of the orange icing.
17 Repeat stages 15 and 16 until all the maleteesers and chocolate buttons are used up.
18 Take 2 of the cut halves of sponge cake tops and place on top of the cake about 1/3 from the top.
19 Place a decorated malteeser underneath the sponge cake half.
20 Finally place a jellied diamond half way between the malteesers.
21 Repeat stagtes 19 and 20 until all the cakes are decorated. Makes 14 - 16 cakes

Notes
Using margarine is ok, but beware, margarine has more water in it than butter, so the taste and the texture will be altered, hard margerine from a block is better than the soft.

Golden caster sugar or soft brown sugar may be used instead but the colour will change.

Plain flour maybe used but increase the amount of baking powder to a heaped teasoon.