With fruit, chocolate or the classic frangipane, the galette is having a party.  (Photos: DR; Montage: Paperjam)

With fruit, chocolate or the classic frangipane, the galette is having a party.  (Photos: DR; Montage: Paperjam)

Classic frangipane, revisited recipes, generous formats or more daring creations: As Epiphany approaches, Luxembourg’s bakeries and patisseries are competing with each other in terms of expertise. We take a look at the galettes des Rois on offer this year.

Pierre Hermé

At Pierre Hermé, the galette des Rois resolutely leaves the register of the classic to become a piece of haute pâtisserie. In particular, the house offers the Mogador galette, an emblematic reinterpretation combining inverted puff pastry, passion fruit almond cream, milk chocolate ganache and caramelised roasted pineapple, for a perfectly mastered interplay of textures and acidity. Alongside it, the pain perdu-style galette combines inverted puff pastry, soaked brioche, almond cream and melting caramel, while Infiniment Chocolat transforms the famous flan into a galette, around 80% cocoa pure dark chocolate from Ghana, enhanced by a nougatine with bean slivers.

Oberweis

At Oberweis, the galette des Rois is based on a balance between tradition and more contemporary notes. In particular, Oberweis offers a lemon and hazelnut galette, made with puff pastry filled with a lemon and hazelnut frangipane, spiced up with preserved lemons. Available in a single format for six people, it is best eaten slightly warm, to bring out all its flavours. At the same time, Oberweis remains faithful to the great classics with a traditional frangipane galette as well as an apple version, to satisfy all palates.

Hoffmann

Chef Hoffmann, the galette des Rois is a real gourmet treat, with several variations based on pure butter puff pastry. The house offers a classic frangipane galette, but also a version with apples, topped with a generous compote. The more original “Hoffnella” galette combines frangipane cream and homemade spread. And all three galettes are available in two sizes.

Ladurée

For Epiphany, Ladurée remains faithful to the elegance of the great French patisserie, offering a classic approach. Firstly, the company is offering a timeless frangipane galette des Rois, combining crisp, golden puff pastry with a silky almond cream, punctuated with fine almond slivers. At the same time, Ladurée has signed a more original creation with its frangipane macaron: two almond shells enclosing a vanilla cream delicately spiced with rum and crunchy almond pieces, a refined interpretation thought up for lovers of signature sweets.

Paul

At Paul, the galette des Rois is available in a particularly wide range, designed to suit all appetites and tastes. As well as the traditional frangipane - available individually or to share - the bakery also offers gourmet variations, such as an almond-lemon galette, where the sweetness of the frangipane is enhanced by a touch of citrus. Fruit lovers will also find something to their liking with the apple galette, available in individual or family versions, topped with compote and melt-in-the-mouth pieces.

Fischer

This year, Fischer bakeries are celebrating Epiphany under the theme “Tourne Galette, tourne!”, a playful nod to the company’s expertise, which is reflected in a collection of spinning top-shaped beans. As for the recipes, three revisited classics share the bill: a soft, melt-in-the-mouth frangipane galette, subtly flavoured with rum; a chocolate frangipane version, enriched with generous dark chocolate chips; and an apple galette, topped with a fruity compote under a crispy puff pastry.

Cocottes

At Cocottes, we’re sticking to our tried-and-tested values, executed with precision. The house offers a traditional frangipane galette, with golden puff pastry and classic almond cream, as well as a more gourmet version with apples and salted butter caramel. Two simple, effective recipes designed for sharing, with contained prices and a puff pastry that focuses above all on crispness.

Kaempff-Kohler

At Kaempff-Kohler, the Galette des Rois (Three Kings cake) highlights the product and the company’s expertise. The generous, melt-in-the-mouth frangipane version is made with Luxembourg PDO butter and comes in two sizes. The house also offers an apple galette, with crispy puff pastry and melting fruit.

Genaveh 

This year Genaveh unveils its very first king cake, immediately showcasing the house’s chocolate-maker DNA. The recipe combines a house frangipane made with unrefined sugar and raw almonds, vanilla-scented pastry cream, and shards of Genaveh’s signature 63% Peruvian dark chocolate. All of this sits on a house-made inverted puff pastry — a rare, highly technical process delivering exceptional crispness and flakiness. Staying true to its values, Genaveh favours premium, largely local ingredients, and hides a distinctive metal fève inspired by a pastry chef’s tools in each cake.

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 (Photo: Genaveh)