Walnut Frangipani Recipes

CLASSIC FRANGIPANE

Steps:

• Bring milk to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Beat 1/4 cup sugar, egg, and egg yolk together until foamy. Add flour and slowly pour in hot milk, beating constantly until smooth and no lumps remain.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, beating constantly to avoid any lumps, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Add butter and stir until melted. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, almond meal, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Let cool, stirring every so often to prevent a skin from forming.
• Once cooled, use it right away or refrigerate until ready to use.

WALNUT FRANGIPANE AND BANANA TARTLETS

Steps:

• Blend first 4 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely ground. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 5 tablespoons sugar, and brown sugar in bowl until blended. Beat in eggs, then ground walnut mixture. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Roll out each pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 10-inch square. Using 5-inch-diameter plate as guide, cut out 4 rounds from each square. Using tip of small knife, score 4-inch-diameter circle in center of each 5-inch round (do not cut completely through pastry). Pierce 4-inch centers thoroughly with fork. Place pastry rounds on large baking sheet. Chill until very cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 2 1/2 tablespoons frangipane over 4-inch center of each pastry round (reserve remaining frangipane for another use). Arrange banana ovals decoratively on frangipane. Sprinkle bananas on each tart with 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake until pastry is deep golden and bananas begin to brown, about 25 minutes.
• Brush bananas with warm apricot jam. Sift powdered sugar over tartlets. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FRANGIPANE

Steps:

• Combine the almond cream ingredients and in a pastry bag with a large opening (no tip) and set aside. Halve the puff pastry and roll each into an 8 1/2-inch circle, 1/8 inch thick.
• Place 1 of the circles on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Pipe a 5-inch diameter mound of almond cream in the center of the circle. The mound should be about 1-inch high. Prepare the egg wash: Whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, and milk in a small bowl until well combined.
• Lightly brush the remaining 1 1/2-inch rim of the pastry circle with the egg wash. Place the second circle of puff pastry over the first. Gently press against the sides of the almond cream mound to remove any trapped air. Seal the edges of the 2 layers by pressing the top edge into the bottom edge. Use a sharp knife to give the circle a fluted edge like a flower. Use a sharp knife to pierce a 1/2-inch slit in the top layer at the center. This will allow steam to escape during baking. To make the classic pattern in the top, use a sharp knife to score a curved line that begins at the top of the mound and ends at the bottom of the mound. Repeat this line every 1/2 inch around the circumference of the mound, but be careful not to cut through the top layer and into the almond cream. Lightly brush the top with egg wash.
• Let the frangipane rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour before baking. (At this point, you can wrap the frangipane well in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 weeks. Let it thaw in the refrigerator or in your backpack before baking.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake until it begins to brown slightly, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Stir together the corn syrup and water.
• Remove the frangipane from the oven and brush it well with the corn syrup mixture. This adds sweetness, enhances the color, and gives it a crispy crust. Continue to bake until well risen and evenly browned, about another 20 minutes. The baked frangipane should be flaky and tender, and the almond cream center still moist. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. The frangipane is best when served while it is still slightly warm. Use a serrated knife to slice it.

APPLE-AND-BLACK-WALNUT-FRANGIPANI TART

Steps:

• To make the dough, put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and pulse until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. (Add water a teaspoon at a time if the dough seems too dry.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and ease it into a 10-inch tart pan. Trim the edges. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the chilled crust with the frangipani. Peel, halve, core and thinly slice the apples. Fan the apples over the frangipani. Combine the sugar and the cinnamon in a small cup, mix well and sprinkle over the apples. Bake until the crust is browned and the apples are soft, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
• Remove the tart from the pan. Warm the apple jelly in a small saucepan over low heat until it is just melted. Brush the hot jelly over the surface of the tart. Brush the crust with jelly and dust the crust with ground walnuts. Dust the crust again with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.