French Almond Cream Filling and Why You Should Know How to Make It
Quick & Easy French Almond Cream Filling, also known as Creme D’amandes or Frangipane is made with almonds as it’s base & there plenty of reasons why you should know how to make it. They can be utilized in so many recipes and eaten so many ways, that it’s pretty important to know such basics.
What is French Almond Cream Filling made with?
It is made with almonds, eggs, sugar and sometimes flour. In France and many French style bakeries or Boulangeries around the world you will see it as a great addition to a large variety of pastries.
What can you use Almond Cream Filling for?
- This filling can be used to fill tarts (check out this Pineapple & Almond Cream Tart, or this Pear & Almond Cream Tart )
- Filling leftover stale croissants, then baking them for a decadent breakfast.
- To make Stuffed Toast – Put this almond cream between two slices of bread, before dipping it into some beaten egg and cooking it in a skillet with butter.Sprinkle the toast with powdered sugar or drown it syrup and breakfast fit for a king is served. Best breakfast ever!
- Almond Cream also pairs well with fruits, making this a perfect companion to whatever berry or fruit is in season… or not. I use it together with berries I have in the freezer for a fresh pop of summer in winter or late fall when berries are no longer in season.
The reasons:
So the first reason why you should know know how to make French Almond Cream? Because it’s just one single recipe, but has numerous uses.
Should we talk about how it’s made with nuts and nuts are good for you? With all of it’s vitamin E, calcium, protein (did you know that of all the tree nuts, almonds are highest in protein) and fiber, you just might feel better about that stuffed croissant that you ate for breakfast. Fine, may be all the butter overrides the benefit factor, but still – it’s got nuts!
One more reason. Actually, instead of having to tell you about it, just scroll down and look at the steps involved in making it. Don’t worry, I’ll wait right here.….Did you see it? It’s got a whole 2 steps. Add to the bowl and whisk until fluffy. That. Is. It. On the list of easiest dessert fillings, it ranks pretty high up there. This recipe is eaaasy-peaaasy. Now go ahead and stock up on almonds or almond flour.
Once you try it, you will want to fill everything with it! I’ll go back and reveal the mystery dessert that I posted on Instagram. Enjoy!
French Almond Cream Filling
Ingredients for French Almond Cream Filing:
- 125 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature,
- 3/4 cup almond flour (or finely ground almonds if you don’t have flour)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
How to make French Almond Cream Filling:
Add all ingredients to a bowl of a mixer.
Beat on medium and then high speed until fluffy and thoroughly combined.
To fill small pastries or tarts, transfer cream to a ziplock bag, close it, snip the tip off and fill.
Notes:
To use as a tart filling:
blind bake the tart. Allow it to cool. Fill with this filling and bake for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the filling has puffed all the way in the center. To make a berry tart, sprinkle with berries after filling the tart with Almond Cream, before sending it to the oven.
To use as French Toast Stuffing:
Sandwich a heaping tablespoon of filling between 2 slices of bread. Soak the sandwich in an egg & sugar mixture. Cook on both sides over medium heat in a buttered skillet, until golden crust forms.
Tips:
*Use different nuts instead of almonds, for different flavored fillings. Just replace the full amount of almond four with whatever the type of nut flour you want to use.
**If you do not have almond flour, process the nuts with sugar in a blender until fine. Do not over process or you will get almond butter
Here’s a quick Puff Pastry Braid that uses this almond cream as the filling –
Almond Cream Puff Pastry Braid
French Almond Cream Filling and Why You Should Know How to Make It
Quick & Easy French Almond Cream - just add ingredients to the bowl & Whisk. Great for filling Pastries, Tarts, Croissants & Toast and other desserts
Ingredients
- 125 g unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature,
- ¾ cup almond flour or finely ground almonds if you don't have flour
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl of a mixer.
-
Beat on medium and then high speed until fluffy and thoroughly combined, about 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes
To fill small pastries or tarts: transfer cream to a ziplock bag, close it, snip the tip off and fill.
To use as a tart filling: blind bake the tart. Allow it to cool. Fill with this filling and bake for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the filling has puffed all the way in the center. To make a berry tart, sprinkle with berries after filling the tart with Almond Cream, before sending it to the oven.
To use as French Toast Stuffing: sandwich a heaping tablespoon of filling between 2 slices of bread. Soak the sandwich in an egg & sugar mixture. Cook on both sides over medium heat in a buttered skillet, until golden crust forms.
Tips: *Use different nuts instead of almonds, for different flavored fillings. Just replace the full amount of almond flour with whatever the type of nut flour you want to use. **If you do not have almond flour, process the nuts with sugar in a blender until fine. Do not over process or you will get almond butter.
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I never even considered all the other uses for this. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Thank you & Enjoy!
it looks delicious
Thanks Gigi!
[…] French Almond Cream Ingredients: 125 g unsalted butter, room temperature […]
I’m grateful for this post. I love almond and you have inspired me in so many ways to use this. Wonderful post, thank you! (New follower, too.)
That’s awesome foodeewife! I’m glad that this post’s had a positive influence on you 😀
[…] you remember I posted a recipe for the Almond Filling and I said it was very versatile? Well, guess what? This beautiful thing right here is filled with […]
Can this be used to fill croissants, or is it too runny?
Hmm.. I am not sure, I have not used in croissants. I know they use this filling for twice baked croissants (a baked croissant is cut lengthwise, filled with almond cream, then baked again until) but not sure about using it as the filling for the dough before it’s baked…
[…] Optional: 1 recipe of French Almond Cream […]
[…] Optional: 1 recipe of French Almond Cream […]
On your recipe, it calls for 3/4 cup ground almonds and 2 tbsps all-purpose flour. What if I have almond flour, how does this fit in your recipe. Thanks.
Use the almond flour/meal in place of the 3/4 cup ground almonds, this will actually make for creamier almond cream 🙂
Does your recipe still call for the 2 tbsps flour with 3/4 cup almond flour/meal?
Yes it does. Anything from 1 to 2 tablespoons works fine in this recipes.
[…] that served as the inspiration for these rolls. I followed the recipe from Let the Baking Begin (https://letthebakingbegin.com/2014/11/french-almond-cream-crme-damandes-why-you-should-know-how-t…). It’s important to note that this has a much, well, creamier texture than almond paste. It […]
Does it keep at all in the fridge or must it be used right away?
It keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days just fine. I haven’t tried leaving it longer so can not vouch for longer…
[…] searched online for a quick almond cream recipe and managed to whip one up ready to be used quite quickly. It pretty much was just blending all the […]
[…] The French Almond Cream recipe is as follows: (recipe courtesy https://letthebakingbegin.com/2014/11/french-almond-cream-crme-damandes-why-you-should-know-how-t…😉 […]
Is this the same thing as almond paste?
Almond paste tastes about the same, but is usually thicker and only contains ground almonds and may be glucose?
I would like to make it as a butter to serve on toast. Is there a way to adapt the recipe so that the egg is cooked?
Thanks for sharing your recipes. For those of us outside of the US, could you also give quantities in weight (i.e. grams) please. We have no idea what measure a cup is.
Hi Marina,
The recipe calls for ground almonds and all purpose flour. Is that the same as using almond flour that you mention in the tips section?
Thank you!
Pam
Thanks for the question Pam!
Yes in this recipe the ground almonds and the almond flour are the same thing.
I would love to make these as a tart. After I blind bake the tart , what temp you vase the filled tarts at? There is no mention of temperature in the recipe.
Can you use almond cream in between layers of sponge cake instead of whipped cream if you are making a layered cake or does it need to be cooked in the oven because of the eggs?
I wouldn’t use this cream since, yes, it does use raw eggs and needs to be cooked before it is used.
I want to know do u need to cook the almond cream filling when pairing it with fruit? And if so how do u do that
[…] Almond Cream Puff Pastry Braid: Pastry braid filled with a very versatile cream. […]