Almond Cream Filling Recipes

ALMOND CROISSANTS RECIPE (FRENCH BAKERY STYLE)

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 2 Tbsp sugar and 4 Tbsp rum. Bring to a simmer for a minute and stir until the sugar dissolves then remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
• If using whole almonds: combine 1/2 cup sugar, 2/3 cup almonds and 1/8 tsp salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until finely ground. Add the butter, and mix again until well blended. Add in the eggs one by one, and process on high speed until creamy and fluffy.
• If using almond meal or almond flour: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup almond meal and 1/8 tsp salt. Mix until well incorporated, then blend in the butter. Finally add the eggs 1 at a time and mix on med/high speed until the whole mixture is creamy and fluffy with a frosting-like consistency.
• Preheat the oven to 350° F . Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• After your croissants have been on the counter drying out overnight, and you're ready to use them, slice each croissant horizontally like you would for a sandwich.
• Work with each croissant one by one: dip it into the syrup, coating both sides and the ends well. The croissant should be quite moist, but not soaking wet. Just dip it once on each side.
• Arrange the croissants on a baking dish, cut side up. Spread about 2 Tbsp of almond filling on the bottom half of each croissant.
• Place the top halves on and spread about 1 Tbsp of almond filling over the top. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
• Bake on the center rack for 15 to 18 minutes,or until the cream is golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature or just warm. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. These are best served the same day they are made.

FRANGIPANE

Steps:

• In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, mix almond paste (you will probably have to break it into little chunks with your fingers first) with sugar until evenly blended.
• Blend in the butter and flour until well combined.
• Add the eggs and beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
• To use, spread a thin layer in a tart shell, as above, or on puff pastry and bake at 350 degrees until frangipane is puffed and golden brown. This is especially nice with stone fruits: peaches, apricots, nectarines, or cherries. A classic French pairing is with sliced pears.

ALMOND FILLING

Steps:

• Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. In a separate bowl beat eggs and mix together with milk. Stir into dry mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbling. Cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat, add almond liqueur and stir well. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap to prevent film from forming and chill completely before using.

FRANGIPANE: ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• When you are ready to use it, fill your pastries, tart, or tartlets and bake.

PUFF PASTRY TART FILLED WITH ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Purée almond paste, granulated sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until smooth. Add 1 egg, vanilla, and almond extract and purée until incorporated. Add flour and pulse until incorporated.
• Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet into an 11 1/2-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, then brush off excess flour from both sides. Cut out an 11-inch round by tracing around an inverted plate with tip of a paring knife. Transfer round to a buttered large baking sheet (not dark metal, or pastry may brown too much), discarding trimmings, and chill. Repeat procedure with second pastry sheet, leaving round on floured surface.
• Beat remaining egg with a fork and brush some over top of second round. Score round decoratively all over using tip of knife, then make several small slits all the way through pastry, at about 2-inch intervals, to create steam vents.
• Brush some of egg in a 1-inch-wide border around edge of chilled pastry round (on baking sheet). Mound almond cream in center of chilled round, spreading slightly, and bury bean in cream. Immediately cover with decorated round and press edges together lightly. Holding a small spoon with side at an angle, press around edge to seal galette decoratively.
• Bake galette in lower third of oven until puffed and pale golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Dust galette with confectioners sugar and bake in upper third of oven until edge is deep golden brown and shiny, 12 to 15 minutes more. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

ALMOND CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups half-and-half, the almond paste, sugar, salt, and cornstarch to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Whisk egg yolks, extract, and remaining 1/2 cup half-and-half in a medium bowl; add one-third of the hot half-and-half mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour into saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl set in ice-water bath. Stir in butter, several pieces at a time. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.
• Put cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed just until stiff peaks form. Fold into custard.

ALMOND CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the Crust:.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Place the sifted flour, salt and butter in a bowl and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture has an even, granular texture. Add the powdered sugar and blend. Sprinkle with the water, mix gently and gather together to form a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Butter a 20.5 cm (8 in.) tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Roll out the dough to a thickness of .5cm and place it over the pan without stretching. Press well into the bottom and up the sides, then roll the rolling pin firmly over the top to trim the excess. Prick with a fork and bake for 10 minutes.
• Prepare the filling:.
• In a saucepan over medium- low heat, make a roux by melting the butter and stirring in the flour with a wooden spoon. In a separate saucepan, bring the milk, salt and sugar to a boil.
• Add the hot milk to the roux a little at a time, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth. Continue whisking and cooking over low heat for 5 minutes, until thick.
• Remove from heat and add the egg yolks and powdered almonds, whisking briskly. Do not allow the filling to boil after the egg yolks are added, or it will separate.
• Pour the filling into the pre-cooked pie shell. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned. Cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, ground almonds, rum, almond extract, and flour; beat until smooth. Will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.