Frangipani is a nutty cream used as a pie filling and baked for a crunchy exterior. It can be made with almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts and used in sweet or savory dishes. Recipes date back to the 17th century and can be used as a filling for cakes or tarts.
Frangipani, sometimes spelled frangipani, is similar to a custard, and some may refer to it specifically as an almond custard. In fact, frangipani can be any cream or cream-like substance with nuts. What differentiates it from the average custard is that it is often used as a pie filling and is baked. This results in a crunchy exterior that is very different from pies or tarts and is quite a rich and delicious alternative to standard fruit pies.
Recipes for frangipani can be found in cookbooks dating back to the early 17th century. These recipes mostly refer to frangipane as an almond or pistachio custard that could be used in the same way as custard, to fill cakes or pastries. It is not clear when the idea of baking frangipani hit French chefs, but there are several centuries of baked custard recipes.
Contrary to popular belief, frangipani doesn’t need to contain almonds or walnuts for that matter. If you like the aroma of nuts, many people suggest hazelnuts instead of almonds, especially in Italian-inspired recipes. The standard frangipane tart tends to be made in the shorter pans, with a layer of fruit, onto which the frangipani custard is poured. Fruits that can be cut into crescents, such as pears, apples, and peaches, lend themselves particularly well to this style of pie.
There are even recipes for savory frangipani. For example, slices of onions and goat cheese can be topped with frangipani custard that is primarily flavored with black pepper. You can prepare this type of savory dish in a sour style or in a galette. The main difference is that the galette is usually made from puff pastry formed and baked on a baking sheet. The tart is a flaky pastry, usually formed into a short dish.
Many frangipani recipes today are used as a filling for cakes. They are usually a combination of marzipan, sugar, butter and eggs. Alternatively, some types of baked tarts contain heavy cream and egg, more akin to custard and the older 17th-century version. You will have to decide for yourself which of these recipes are more delicious and best suited to your cooking styles. Experimenting with some recipes can make for tasty cooking fun and can delight anyone who tastes different variations with you.
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