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.

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.

Filed in:

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

FAQs

What country is the croissant from? ›

Through its many evolutions, food experts and historians agree that the croissant has become a uniquely French pastry. The French government even named it as the national French product in 1920. Many other countries also have their own spin-offs of the croissant.

Does croissant have egg? ›

Do Croissants Have Eggs? Traditional croissants do not contain eggs as they are made with flour, sugar, salt, dry yeast, milk, water, and butter. Gluten-free croissant recipes DO call for the use of eggs.

How to make a croissant shiny? ›

Egg wash: Whisk an egg with some water, then brush it over the rolled croissants, which helps to add a lovely golden and shiny look to the baked croissants.

What to fill croissants with? ›

Stuffed Croissants
  • Mascarpone, fresh berries, and a drizzle of honey.
  • Brie and jam (toasting recommended)
  • Sliced figs, honey, and sea salt.
  • Lemon curd and fresh whipped cream.
  • Nutella, mascarpone, and fruit (such as bananas or berries)
  • Ricotta, roasted red peppers, salt, and pepper.
Nov 17, 2020

Did Paris invent croissants? ›

Originally a Viennese pastry!

Contrary to popular belief, the croissant is not a French invention (although France has adopted it as an icon of its gastronomy), but the result of a sequence of events in History. Its origins date from 1683. At the time, the Austrian town of Vienna was under siege by the Ottomans.

Should I egg wash my croissants? ›

And remember egg wash isn't just for pie crust; use it on any dough you'd like to give high shine, including dinner rolls, hand pies, brioche buns, and puff pastry or croissants.

What do the French eat their croissants with? ›

The French love to eat them for breakfast. But there's more to it than just eating a croissant itself. They usually pair it with some sweet jam or chocolate spread, typically from hazelnuts (Nutella!).

How do you eat a croissant politely? ›

Use a fork and knife to cut apart the croissant as an alternative to tearing it. Put the croissant on a plate. Hold a fork and knife in whichever hand you prefer for each, and cut the croissant apart bite-by-bite.

Should croissants be eaten hot or cold? ›

French pastries like croissants, puffs and even madeleines are best served and enjoyed warm so that you taste the full flavour and what they have to offer. Keep in mind to leave the pastry in its wrapping when thawing so that moisture condenses on the outside and not directly on the pastry.

Are croissants from Germany? ›

Croissants are a style of viennoiserie pastries, which of course relates back to the Austrian city of Vienna, otherwise known as the birthplace of croissants. The ancestor to the modern-day croissant was called the kipferl, which dates back to the 13th century and comes in various shapes and sizes.

Are croissants French or Australian? ›

“The croissant began as the Austrian kipferl but became French the moment people began to make it with puffed pastry, which is a French innovation.”

Where did today croissant originate? ›

It is widely understood that the croissant of today is a descendent of the 'kipferl' (or kipfel) - an Austrian, crescent-shaped pastry that resembles a thinner, denser croissant made with a generous amount of butter and often served topped with sugar and almonds.

Was the croissant made in Romania? ›

The croissant as we know it today is a French adaptation of an Austrian pastry. In 1839, August Zang introduced Viennese baking, including the Austrian kipfel, to Paris. Soon the crescent-shaped kipfel became popular enough that Parisian bakers made it and simply named it “crescent” in French: croissant.

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