Amande, Vanille & Tonka, Matthieu Carlin's 2025 galette des rois at the Hôtel de Crillon

After the end-of-year festivities, it's time to kick off 2025 with another gourmet rendezvous, synonymous with sharing, that also delights sweet tooths: here comesEpiphany and its famous galettes des rois! For the occasion, the finest Parisian addresses are unveiling their interpretations and reinterpretations of this traditional delicacy. While some are looking for a good classic almond galette, others are taking the opportunity to stray off the beaten track in search of an original recipe that will surprise their loved ones. Fortunately, in Paris and throughout the Île-de-France region, a league of talented pastry chefs and bakers manages to unveil so many tasty creations every year that everyone will find a galette to suit their fork.

The great hotels are also getting in on the act, and at theHôtel de Crillon, the legendary palace on Place de la Concorde, we discover anexceptional galette that once again offers us a fine revisiting of this greatEpiphany classic. Matthieu Carlin, the hotel's pastry chef, acclaimed for his low-sugar creations that respect natural flavors, has come up with a gourmet, comforting creation with regressive accents that will appeal to aficionados of the frangipane galette, while adding the twist that makes it an original creation!

Covered in slivered almonds, with a delicate butterfly nestling in the middle, echoing Butterfly, the Hôtel de Crillon's pastry shop-tea room, this rather coquettish galette reveals a look imbued with poetry. The airy, very crisp puff pastry gradually gives way to a soft frangipane with the sweet scent of childhood, perfumed with vanilla and Tonka bean. A perfect match for fans of the classic galette who swear by almond frangipane, and taste buds in search of a revisited creation.

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And there's more: chef Matthieu Carlin has a knack for imbuing each of his creations with the stamp of childhood, by adding a touch of regression. And this is reflected in the jar of Vanille Tonka salted butter caramel that accompanies this surprising galette des rois. The creamy texture makes it easy to cover our slice while making our mouths water, so everyone is free to enjoy their galette as they wish. Sweet, spicy and comforting: that's it, it's all there.

With this galette, pastry chef Matthieu Carlin succeeds, as he did last year, in meeting the challenge of offering an original recipe whose flavors are accessible to young and old alike, making it an intergenerational creation. It is priced at 60€ for an 8-person size, with its jar of caramel. Please note that this creation is a limited edition of 200 galettes, and can be pre-ordered via click & collect from December 16, 2024. It can be collected from Pâtisserie Butterfly from January 2 to 31, 2025.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please mention it in the comments.