Recipe for King Cake with Pistachio

Prepare the pastry cream. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is pale. Add the cornstarch and mix. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat with the vanilla extract. Once the milk is simmering, pour half of it over the egg-sugar-cornstarch mixture, whisk, then return the whole mixture to the saucepan. Heat over medium while whisking until the mixture thickens. Then cover with plastic wrap and let cool.

Prepare the pistachio paste. Blanch the pistachios if it hasn't been done already. Blend them to obtain a powder, then pour in the oil and bitter almond extract and mix.

Soften the butter by working it with a fork. Add the sugar, pistachio paste, and almond flour, and mix until the butter is fully absorbed and you obtain a dough. Then add the egg and bitter almond extract and mix. Finish by adding the pastry cream and mix.

Roll out a puff pastry and cut it to make a 25 cm diameter circle if it is not already the case. Then spread the pistachio frangipane on top, leaving a 2 to 3 cm border, not forgetting to insert a bean! Lightly dampen the edges with water using a brush. Then place the second puff pastry on top, ensuring that the edges are well sealed.

Finally, spread egg yolk on top of the pastry and then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then spread a second layer of egg yolk and refrigerate again for 30 minutes. Next, draw your chosen pattern with a knife and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 180°C.