Have you ever wondered what makes an almond croissant so wonderful, or some fruit tarts so magically delicious? The secret is frangipane.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Extremely versatile, fragrant and rich, frangipane is one of the best (and easiest!) recipes in the baker's repertoire. To make it, softened butter, eggs, sugar, almond floursome flour for all purposes and almond extract (or the emulsion) are beaten together into a golden, spreadable paste. It takes all of five minutes to make, which is good news because there are so many great ways to use it that you might find yourself wanting to make it all the time.
How to bake with frangipane
Because it contains raw eggs and flour, frangipane is always baked before eating. It has a tendency to spread due to its high fat ratio, so it is usually used in applications where this is limited, such as in stuffing or toppings. Frangipani is often used as a topping in fruit tarts; it puffs up and browns beautifully as it ripens, fluffing up the fruit and I'm hard-pressed to think of a single fruit that Its not enhanced by the whisper of frangipane almond, from cherries and peaches to apples AND pear.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Frangipane is also a key component in Bakewell Cake, where it joins the jam as a filling between the pastry layers. And it is necessary in Bostock, a breakfast pastry made by soaking day-old croissant slices in sugar syrup, then coated in frangipane and baked until golden. (Bostock is usually, though not always, topped with fruit; a shower of slivered toasted almonds and confectioners' sugar are usually added as a finishing touch.) And this Almond Galette (aka Galette des Rois), a traditional French dessert typically served at Epiphany, is made with pastry and an almond cream filling that is similar to frangipane; if you have some frangipane available, you can use it instead.
Christina's dough
For a no-recipe frangipane recipe, try spreading it in a thick layer puff pastry, then add whatever fruit you have around (sliced nectarines, halved apricots, pitted cherries, blueberries or raspberries, thinly sliced apples or pears) and bake until the pastry and frangipane are golden brown and the fruit is soft. Or make ersatz almond muffins by splitting a day plain croissants (homemade or store bought), brush them with frangipane and bake them a second time until they are crisp.
Photography by Mark Weinberg; Food styling by Liz Neily
You have to ask yourself, frangipane is not the same asmarzipanwhich is a thicker, firmer paste made primarily of almonds and sugar (no butter or eggs), often colored and shaped into decorative shapes, and the two cannot be used interchangeably.
And while frangipane is usually made with ground almonds, it can be made with other ground nuts instead. Using pistachios will give you a green spread, while toasted and ground pecans give a frangipane with a candy-like flavor. Hazelnut chips combine beautifully with chocolate.
Frangipane it keeps well, too: it'll last a week in the fridge or up to two months frozen, so there's no excuse not to always have some on hand, ready to whip up your next dessert.
Get this recipe: Frangipane
Buy this recipe: Almond flour, Almond extract, Almond emulsion
Looking for a nut-free dessert instead? Watch us make the best lemon cake ever.
