The Feast of Kings

One of my favorite traditions from France is a cake celebrating the Epiphany called La Galette des Rois - "the cake of the Kings". The cake consists of flaky puff pastry layers with a dense center of frangipane. Tradition holds that the cake is baked to draw the kings to the Epiphany.

A figurine is hidden in the wafer and the person who obtains this trinket (la fève -"the broad bean", which is what was baked into the galette in the Middle Ages) becomes king for the day. A gilded paper crown is included with the cake to crown the "king" who finds the fève in their piece of cake.

To ensure a random distribution of the cake shares, the youngest person at the festivities sits under the table and names the recipient of each piece. The cake is cut into as many slices as guests, plus one. The latter, called "the share of God," was intended for the first poor person to arrive at the home. Claire already called it for breakfast tomorrow, since Wynham got to be king...