Classic almond cream, also known as crème d’amande, is a simple and elegant cream used as a filling for tarts, croissants and other universally loved pastries. Made of finely ground almonds, sugar, eggs and butter, flavored with almond extract and vanilla, almond cream is easy to prepare and only takes minutes. This is a must-have recipe if you love almonds desserts!
Almond Cream: What am I, Frangipane?
First, let’s clear up a little confusion of what almond cream is — and isn’t. The terms frangipane or frangipane cream are often used interchangeably with almond cream or crème d’amande.
However, almond cream (crème d’amande) and frangipane are not the same thing. Almond cream is actually a component of frangipane. In France, where it is said to have originated, frangipane is considered a combination of crème d’amande and crème pâtissière. To make frangipane, you would just combine around 2/3 almond cream with 1/3 pastry cream (vanilla custard).
Almond Cream + Pastry Cream = Frangipane
The name Frangipane comes from the Roman marquis Muzio Frangipani, who is said to have created a glove perfume with, or based on, the fragrance of the beautiful plumeria flower, discovered from the New World. Apparently, the scent was similar to that of bitter almond, which inspired French pastry makers to combine that same bitter almond flavor from almond cream with pastry cream. Today, the name Frangipani is used for both the flowers and the almond pastry cream.
Almond cream and frangipane can, and often are, used interchangeably in recipes. Almond cream naturally has a higher ratio of almond — and it’s easier and quicker to prepare, since frangipane requires the additional task of making pastry cream.
Almond Flour
Using fine almond flour from a good source is easy and fast. We often use Bob’s Red Mill super-fine almond flour from blanched whole almonds. You can also make almond flour yourself.
Sure. Again, it will just make your crème d’amande a little more rustic. Almond flour has a flour-like consistency (surprise!), whereas almond meal is sometimes slightly coarser, but not much. Either can have the skins on or off.
Making Almond Cream
Traditionally, the sugar and butter are creamed together first. However, I combine it in a different order, in order to keep the same simple process whether starting with almond flour or whole blanched almonds. It’s easy and turns out great every time.
Tips
- Mix the ingredients at room temperature to ensure they blend beautifully, and don’t separate. This means remembering to take the butter and eggs out of the fridge to come to room temperature beforehand.
- Use a digital kitchen scale, in order to weigh things easier and faster, to measure better, and to use less bowls and measuring devices (meaning less clean up). Plus, they are just more enjoyable to use.
Using a Food Processor
You’ll need a food processor if starting with whole almonds, or if you want your almond cream as smooth as possible.
Mixing By Hand
You can mix everything by hand if you already have almond flour, and don’t care if the texture is not super-refined. I often use a whisk if I’m not serving guests, and don’t want to get out a food processor or stand mixer.
Almond Cream Uses
Note: Because of the raw eggs, almond cream is meant to be cooked, not eaten raw.
Mediterranean countries are longtime lovers of almond sweets. Classic uses for this delicious crème d’amande include:
Use your almond cream to make a French Pear Tart this weekend!
- French Pear Tart – A house favorite I highly recommend! You can use a homemade Sweet Tart Crust (Pâte Sucrée), or for ready-made, I recommend using an all-butter puff pastry dough.
- Pastries – Sublime filling or topping for all kinds of pastries, including croissants.
- A delicious way to use stale, day-old croissants: top or fill, and reheat for breakfast!
- Weekend French Toast – Simply spread French toast generously with almond cream and put in the oven for about ten minutes, until golden. (Brioche French toast is the best. By the way, I share a secret source for brioche, that you may very well already have, in Brioche French Toast.)
I hope you’ll enjoy this delicious crème d’amande as much as we do at our house.
Almond Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup almond flour (ideally superfine or fine, blanched), or whole almonds, blanched
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg white, at room temperature
- 1 tsp almond extract (or 1 Tbsp/15ml rum)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 7 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and softened to room temperature
Instructions
- Ahead of Time: Take butter and eggs out to come to room temperature.
Food Processor Method (for the smoothest texture)
- Pulse almond flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined. If using whole almonds, blanch (see notes), dry, then process with sugar and salt until finely ground, taking care not to over-process into almond butter.
- Add egg, egg white, almond extract (or rum) and vanilla extract, and pulse until evenly blended.
- Add the butter and process for about 5 to 10 seconds until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and pulse again for a few seconds. The batter should be thoroughly combined and without lumps.
Hand-Mixing Method (gives a slightly more rustic texture):
- With a whisk, blend almond flour with rest of ingredients.
- Yield: 1.5 cups, 12oz, 355ml/g
- To Blanch Whole Almonds: (For a more rustic almond cream you can omit this step.) Plunge the almonds into boiling water. After one minute, transfer to a plate with a skimmer and let cool for another minute. Then pop each almond out of its skin.
- Storing: Almond Cream stores well in an airtight container for a few days in the fridge, or a month in the freezer. Let come to room temperature before using.
- Ideas: Use as filling for tarts like French Pear Tart, baked in almond croissants or on brioche toast (bostock), or in other pastry recipes.
- Because of the raw eggs, almond cream is meant to be cooked.
