Recipe for Frangipane King Cake with IGP Clementines

For the preparation of the pastry cream: Whip the yolks with the sugar and cornstarch. Bring the milk to a boil with the zest of the clementine. Pour it over the yolks while whisking. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens and bubbles form. Transfer to a dish, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate.

To prepare the almond cream: Whisk the softened butter with the powdered sugar. Add the almond flour, then the eggs one by one, and the cornstarch. Next, incorporate the juice of the clementine and the well-chilled pastry cream. Finally, add the candied clementines that have been previously chopped into pieces. Mix without incorporating too much air. Combine the pastry cream and almond cream to obtain the frangipane.

For assembly: Prick the puff pastry with a fork. Brush the edges of the two pieces of pastry with water. Then spread the frangipane in the center of one round, making sure to leave at least 5 cm of edge. Place a bean inside, then close with the second round of pastry. Seal the edges by gently pressing with your fingers. Brush the top with half of the beaten egg yolk. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Decorate the pastry with the tip of a knife, being careful not to cut through. Bake at 200°C for 15 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and continue baking for another 15 minutes at 180°C. When the pastry is golden brown, remove it from the oven and switch to grill mode (250°C). Dust the pastry with powdered sugar using a sieve, then return it to the turned-off oven for just enough time to glaze it. Let cool on a rack before enjoying.

To finish