If you like making tart and looking for a perfect filling to go in it, let me share with you my favorite Frangipane recipe. This almond filling is easy to make and ti never failed to take any tart into the next level. It has a creamy and nutty taste, and best of all, it is not too sweet. My kind of filling.

Most of the time I used Vanilla Frangipane for my tarts, but having a chocolate variation is also nice to have in case you want to have a different variation. Vanilla is more flexible and not restrictive as chocolate bu the chocolate is a nice flavor for a change. I alwasy say, why choose one when you can have both? Give both a try and let me know which one you like.

What is Frangipane?

Frangipane is an Almond flavoured  Cream or paste that is made by combining almond flour, sugar, egg and butter. It’s a filling used for variety of desserts such as pie, cakes and tarts, like Frangipane Tart. I’ve made Mini Raspberry Frangipane Tart and Poach Pear Chocolate Frangipane Tart few months and both tarts uses this Almond Cream as a base. I’m always a huge fan of anything with almonds and I had a fair share of my favorite almond based desserts such as Almond Shortbread Tart, Flourless Chocolate Cake, Almond Shortbread Bar and more. I like the subtle flavor of almonds and the creamy taste that it has. Although quite more expensive than other nuts, I always think it’s worth the price when I’m using it to make my dessert especially in making Frangipane.  

How to Make Frangipane?

Frangipane sounds so elegant that one would think it’s difficult to make it, quite the opposite actually. It’s a very simple process and you don’t even need to be a baker to be able to make it. All you need to do is to mix the ingredients one after the other and you’re done! How easy is that? You cannot seriously mess up something this simple. I used my stand mixer just to make my life lot more easier but if you don’t have one, you can use a hand mixer and a big bowl. Take note of the BIG bowl there, it really has to be big. The portion itself is not too much, but you will need a big deep bowl if you are using a hand mixer because the icing sugar could easily covered your kitchen counter, trust me I’ve been there. Second point to remember, softened butter is very important so that it mix easily with the icing sugar. Last but not the least, don’t panic when your mixture curdle when you add the egg, it will come together once you add the almond flour, so deep breathe and just relax. 

Flavors of Frangipane

The classic frangipane flavor is vanilla, excluding of course the natural almond flavor of the cream/paste. However, if you want to be a little bit more creative and adventurous, you can add a twist to this classic flavor. For a chocolate lover like  me, its not even a question i I should make a chocolate flavor frangipane, let’s just say its often a must for me when I make variations. Chocolate is always at the top of my list. Chocolate frangipane is a nice twist to a regular vanilla frangipane, because as I always say, chocolate makes everything better, and it did. I added few tablespoon of cocoa powder to the flour to give it the chocolate flavor that I want to achieve, and surely did the job. The chocolate frangipane turned out as great as the classic vanilla frangipane, its almost like eating a healtier milder and more nutty version of nutella. The combination of almond flavor always worked for me and I couldn’t be more happier on how this chocolate frangipane turned out. So for now, I have vanilla and chocolate flavor, I’m thinking maybe next time I’ll make matcha? Do yuo think it will work? Well, the only way to find out is to try it. So stay tune for additional frangipane flavors.

Where to use Frangipane?

Frangipane is used as filling for pastries, cakes or tart. Tart is the first one where I tried to used it and I seriously cannot wait to try to use it for pastries and cake, I’m pretty sure they are quite amazing as well. When use are filling, it has a creamy and nutty texture that is not too sweet so it blends well with the tart crust that has a buttery creamy texture. It was like a match made in heaven for me, that good.

As I mentioned before, this is a very easy recipe to follow. Let’s check the details of the step, shall we? Let’s get started!  

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (75g) Icing Sugar – sifted
• 1/2 cup/1 stick (75g) Butter, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 large Egg, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (75g) Almond Flour
• 1 tablespoon (10g) All-Purpose Flour – sifted
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Variation:

• Add 2 tablespoon (20g) Cocoa Powder – sifted

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, add softened unsalted butter, sifted powdered sugar, salt and pure vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and softened. This could be around 2 -3 minutes, plus or minus depending on the temperature in your kitchen.
2. Add the beaten egg gradually in 2 additions and continue mixing for another 2 minutes. The mixture will look wet and clumping, this is ok.
3. Add almond flour  and mix for another 2 minutes. At this stage, the consistency will be thick like a paste.
4. Last, add the sifted flour and mix for another 1 minute or just until combined. If you are making a chocolate variation, this is the step to add the cocoa powder. Make sure to sift the cocoa powder before adding.
5. Transfer in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
6. Make-Ahead: This can be made 3 – 5 days ahead, keep refrigerated. When ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and leave on counter top to soften a bit or until it is in spreadable state.
   

Makes a filling for 4 4-inch mini tart pan or 1 8-inch round pan

Here are 2 more tarts that I made using the Vanilla Frangipane filling. The one in the left is Almond Pear Frangipane Tart and the one in the right is a small Crustless Pear Almond Cake.

Thank You for visiting my website. Please don’t forget to click the “Like” button below if you like this recipe. Lastly, did you know that I have a YouTube Channel? Please support my channel by clicking on the “Subscribe” button in my video and the “Bell” icon to get notification of new videos.

FOLLOW SWEETNSPICYLIVING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | YouTube