Franche-Comté-style epiphany cake: a sweet touch

"Galette comtoise", Franche-Comté's own version of epiphany cake, is a typical dessert in the Jura Mountains. Rather than frangipane, its base is simply choux pastry flavoured with orange blossom. Here we reveal the best drink to accompany this original desert for a duo that will delight both children and adults.

Ingredients

250ml of milk
100g of sugar
70g of butter
130g of flour
4 eggs (3 yolks + 4 whites, the 4th yolk to glaze)
3 tablespoons of orange blossom water

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
In a saucepan, bring the milk to the boil with the sugar and butter.
Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once and stir briskly until a ball of pastry forms without sticking to the sides of the saucepan.
Beat the eggs in one by one (except the 4th yolk). Don't hesitate to use an electric whisk to obtain an even mixture.
Add the orange blossom water.
Pour the batter into a pre-greased tin and use the tip of a knife to make a criss-cross pattern.
Bake for 5 minutes, then use the remaining egg yolk to brush the top. Return to the oven for a further 20 to 25 minutes, then leave to cool.

Did you know?

Just out of interest...

The Franche-Comté epiphany cake is also known as Besançon epiphany cake, as it originally comes from Besançon. It dates back to the 11th century, a time when the canons of the Besançon chapter (monks) first chose their leader by hiding a silver coin in a loaf of bread. The bread was soon replaced by a brioche cake, then by a kind of caramelised bread base which eventually became the famous Franche-Comté epiphany cake.

Discover the place where it all began: Saint John's Cathedral in Besançon

To avoid dehydrating

Which drinks go with this dessert?

Matching the drink to the dessert is just as important as for the rest of the meal. To cater for all ages and preferences, we suggest a few alternatives to best accompany your Franche-Comté-style epiphany cake.

Sparkling drinks are a good option because they are light and elegant. So here are our suggestions:

- Bugey wines, especially Cerdon, sparkling rosé wine from the department of Ain.

- Crémant du Jura sparkling wine.

- Mortuacienne, a craft lemonade from Rième Boissons in Morteau.

- Elixia, a craft lemonade from the Jura massif.

Vary the pleasures,

For sweet tooths, try these other desserts

20
min 4
Pers

Time for something sweet Iced absinthe soufflé, an alcoholic dessert

15
min 4
Pers

All fired up Crème brûlée with absinthe, an intoxicating dessert

30
min 6
Pers

A little sweetness Gâteau de ménage, epiphany with a local flavour