If you live in America, you might not have heard of Frangipane. Frangipane is a sweetened almond paste filling, and it is one of the staples in French bakeries. Sometimes--often--the French get it right, so give it a try.
Spread a layer of frangipane on a tart shell and top it with fresh fruit and maybe some sliced almonds and bake until golden brown, puffed and delicious for a traditional French treat. This version of frangipane is not too sweet.
What You'll Need
8 oz. almond paste
1 oz. sugar
4 oz. butter
1 oz. cake flour
4 oz. whole eggs (whisk 3 eggs together, then weigh out 4 oz. Save the extra for another use)
How to Do It
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 and then the eggs until the mixture is smooth.
***For a sweeter, more custardy almond filling, increase sugar to 8 oz. and flour to 2 oz. Increase eggs to 4 large and mix as above.
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 fruite: peaches, apricots, nectarines, or cherries. A classic French pairing is with sliced pears.
