Chef Joanne Chang has adapted the traditional French recipe to make it as American as Apple Pithivier. Here’s the Frangipane for her Apple Pithivier with Vanilla Apple Butter.
Frangipane
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (100g) whole blanched almonds, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (100g) sliced blanched almonds, or 1 cup (100g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
Special equipment: food processor if using whole or sliced nuts, stand mixer with paddle attachment or handheld mixer (optional)
- If using whole or sliced almonds, grind them in the food processor as finely as possible without turning them into a paste. Set aside.
- Using the stand mixer or a medium bowl and the handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes if using a stand mixer, or 3 to 4 minutes if using a handheld mixer, or until light. Add the ground almonds or the almond flour and beat on medium speed for 1 minute or until thoroughly incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Or use a medium bowl and a wooden spoon: creaming the butter and sugar will take 4 to 5 minutes, and incorporating the nuts or almond flour will take about 1 1/2 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed or with the wooden spoon, beat in the eggs until blended. Add the all-purpose flour, vanilla, and salt and beat just until combined. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. If refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before using. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
For more recipes, see Chef Chang’s cookbooks Flour and Flour, Too.
