La galette des rois, or king cake, is a French pastry traditionally served on Twelfth Night (5 January). Versions of king cakes can be found in a number of Christian countries; the cake is named after the three biblical kings who travelled to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus, arriving on Twelfth Night.

In France, two versions of king cake predominate, one from the north and one from the south. The northern version is puff pastry filled with frangipane, while the southern king cake contains dried and candied fruits in a brioche pastry. But what all king cakes have in common is a small trinket - often a representation of the baby Jesus - which confers special powers on the person who finds it, much like the lucky sixpence in a British Christmas pudding.

A low-effort recipe (using ready-made puff pastry) can be found below, courtesy of the BBC's Good Food website. As Twelfth Night is tomorrow, life really is too short to make homemade puff pastry in the week the world returns to work.

400g ready-made puff pastry
2 rounded tbsp apricot jam
100g softened butter
100g caster sugar
1 lighly beaten egg
100g ground almonds
2 tbsp cognac or dark rum

1. Heat the oven to 200C/fanC180/gas 6.
2. Divide the ready-made puff pastry in half, roll out each piece and cut into a 25cm round. Put one round on a baking sheet and spread with the apricot jam to within 2cm of the edges.
3. Beat together the softened butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Stir in the ground almonds and cognac or dark rum.
4. Spoon the mixture over the jam, spreading it evenly. Brush the edges of the pastry with water, then cover with the second piece, pressing the edges to seal. Mark the top of the pastry from the centre to the edges like the spokes of a wheel or in a zig zag pattern, then brush with beaten egg.
5. Bake for 25-30 mins until crisp and golden. Serve warm or cold.

This traditional Perigord dessert was first cooked for me by a neighbour, who would be horrified to know that I now prepare the dish using ready-rolled puff pastry from the supermarket. But as long as you get a brand that has been prepared using real butter, pre-made puff pastry is one of life's great shortcuts.

Pompe aux oommes du Perigord is a hand-formed layered apple puff that screams of autumn. If you own a mandolin, and use that to prepare the apples, this is a pudding that can be ready to eat within 40 minutes of work beginning, provided you don't mind burning your tongue when you tuck in.

2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
250g slivered almonds
200g muscovado sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
75ml sunflower oil
2 beaten eggs, separate (one to be used as an egg wash)
350g puff pastry made with butter
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 190C. Set aside 1 tbsp each of the almonds and sugar for decorating, plus one beaten egg to use as a wash.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients bar the pastry. If you use your (clean) hands, you can ensure a more even mixture.
3. Roll the pastry into a rectangle about the thickness of a pound coin, and cut into four equal rectangles.
4. Spread the mixture onto one pastry rectangle, top with a second, and then repeat. Do not put mixture on the top layer; instead cover it with an egg wash then sprinkle it with the almonds and sugar held back in the beginning.
5. Pinch the edges together to form a seal, and bake on a greased baking tray for 25-30 minutes. It is cooked when the top is golden.

Recipe via www.traditionalfrenchfood.com