This Surprisingly Easy Recipe Will Transport You to a French Bakery (2024)

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Sheela Prakash

Sheela PrakashSenior Contributing Food Editor

Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food. She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.

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published Jul 8, 2022

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This Surprisingly Easy Recipe Will Transport You to a French Bakery (1)

This sweet and nutty almond cream is a classic French recipe that's wonderful tucked inside fruit tarts or croissants.

Makes1 1/2 cupsPrep5 minutes

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This Surprisingly Easy Recipe Will Transport You to a French Bakery (2)

While frangipane might sound fancy, this nutty almond cream couldn’t be simpler to pull together and will instantly make you feel as if you deserve a spot on The Great British Baking Show. The French pastry filling is a classic ingredient in almond croissants as well as fruit tarts. Once you know how to make it, it’s sure to become a mainstay in your baking repertoire.

What Is the Difference Between Marzipan and Frangipane?

  • Marzipan is a sweet almond paste that is dense and smooth and made from almonds, sugar, glucose syrup, water, and sometimes egg whites. It can be made at home or bought in cans or tubes. It’s used like fondant to decorate cakes or molded into shapes to be eaten like candy.
  • Frangipane is sweet but less so than marzipan and is soft, smooth, and spreadable. It’s made from almonds, softened butter, sugar, and eggs. It’s traditionally used in French pastries such as bostock, almond croissants, and pithivier, as well as British bakewell tart.

Is Frangipane the Same as Almond Paste?

Almond paste is more similar to marzipan than frangipane, but it’s still distinctly its own. It’s made of the same ingredients as marzipan but it’s less sweet and richer in almond flavor. It’s a bit more crumbly and coarse-textured and is used in baked goods such as these pignoli cookies.

How to Use Frangipane

Beyond its traditional uses, frangipane is wonderful simply slathered on thick-sliced bread, topped with fruit, and baked for a fun morning toast. Or slather it on puff pastry or galette dough before piling in fresh fruit when making a simple tart. A few spoonfuls are also lovely lightly folded into muffin or quick bread batter, as well as baked oatmeal, before they head to the oven.

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Frangipane Recipe

This sweet and nutty almond cream is a classic French recipe that's wonderful tucked inside fruit tarts or croissants.

Prep time 5 minutes

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons

    unsalted butter

  • 1/3 cup

    granulated sugar

  • 2

    large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon

    vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    almond extract (optional)

  • 1 1/4 cups

    almond flour or meal

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Cut 6 tablespoons unsalted butter into 3 pieces and place in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Let sit at room temperature until softened, about 45 minutes.

  2. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar to the bowl of softened butter and beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula. With the mixer on low, add 2 large eggs one at a time, waiting until the first is completely incorporated before adding the second.

  3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract if using and beat on medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute. It will look curdled, but that’s okay.

  4. Add 1 1/4 cups almond flour and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Use the spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and finish folding in the flour until combined and smooth.

Recipe Notes

Almond flour substitute: An equal amount of other nut flours and meals, such as walnut, pecan, and hazelnut, can be substituted for the almond flour. If using an alternative flour, leave out the almond extract.

Storage: Frangipane can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using and let sit at room temperature while the oven heats or while prepping to make it easier to spread.

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This Surprisingly Easy Recipe Will Transport You to a French Bakery (2024)

FAQs

What is the Kuen Aman pastry? ›

Our kouign amann follows the original Breton recipe which consist of multiple layers of alternating brioche dough, butter and sugar, baked to perfection and glazed with caramelized sugar.

Are French desserts less sweet? ›

Notable is that French cakes tend to be low on sugar and rarely iced.

What is a French pastry that starts with K? ›

kouignoù-amann) is a sweet Breton cake made with laminated dough. It is a round multi-layered cake, originally made with bread dough (nowadays sometimes viennoiserie dough), containing layers of butter and incorporated sugar, similar in fashion to puff pastry albeit with fewer layers.

What does kouign mean in French? ›

whose name is also typically Breton, "kouign" meaning cake and "amann" meaning butter. In order to make the most of its soft interior and its crunchy exterior made crunchy by the caramelisation of the sugar, it is advisable to taste the warm kouign-amann with a good glass of chouchen or a few pieces of apple.

Do French eat dessert after dinner? ›

Upon finishing a meal, the French tend to end on a high note—that is, with a dessert, digestif, and/or simple coffee. For lighter lunches, a small cookie or piece of chocolate with an espresso will do the trick, though for dinner, we recommend indulging a bit heavier on the dessert.

Do French people eat dessert everyday? ›

In France, we eat desserts on a daily basis, and they are very often enjoyed as a part of our meals. Of course, the frequency of dessert consumption can vary among individuals, preferences and dietary habits, but it is safe to say that it is very common to have a small serving of dessert at the end of lunch and dinner.

Do French people eat cheese after dessert? ›

Traditionally during a French dinner, cheese is served after the main course and before the dessert. You may notice that restaurants will often offer on the menu a plate of cheese in or just before the dessert section.

What pastry is mille feuille made from? ›

Composition. Traditionally, a mille-feuille is made up of three layers of puff pastry and two layers of crème pâtissière. The top layer is coated with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. In later variations, the top is glazed with icing, in alternating white (icing) and brown (chocolate) strips, and then combed.

What is the famous pastry from Brittany? ›

The kouign-amann is pronounced "queen a-mahn" and is from Brittany, France. It's like a cross between a croissant and a palmier, with layer after layer of buttery, flaky pastry on the inside, yet caramelized with ever-so-slightly-burnt sugar on the outside.

What pastry is Sweden known for? ›

Swedes are known for having a sweet tooth and the 'fika' culture has given the country an incredibly high patisserie standard. World-famous pastries like the cinnamon bun and the Swedish 'semla' even have their own day.

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