Recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut King Cake

Melt the chocolate with the butter in the microwave. Stir to achieve a smooth and even texture. Add the hazelnut powder and mix to incorporate it.

Separately, blanch the egg yolks with the sugar. Add the chocolate-hazelnut mixture and mix with a spatula until smooth.

Roll out the two puff pastry sheets. Cut the edges on both to a width of 2 cm. In the end, I obtained 2 circles of pastry measuring 28 cm.

Layer the two cut edges of dough on top of the dough underneath, sticking them together with a little water. You will have three layers of dough at the edges, or even almost four, because the outer edges are larger than the inner edges, and at some point, you have to cut the dough and continue on top, starting a new layer. You can also remove the excess.

Add the filling inside and spread it evenly. Place a bean inside.

Cover with the second layer of dough, after lightly moistening the edges with a bit of water. Press the edges to seal them.

Slide the paper with the cake onto a baking sheet. Mix the egg yolk with the milk and brush the cake. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 210°C, fan mode.

Take the pastry out of the refrigerator and brush it again with the egg wash. With the tip of a knife, gently create a decoration on the surface of the pastry without pressing too hard to avoid cutting through the dough. Then, poke it with a toothpick vertically in several places all over the surface except for the edges (5-6 in the center and about ten around where the filling stops, making sure not to poke the edges). This will allow steam to escape during baking and will help the pastry to rise evenly on all sides.