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Almond Cream Filling (Crème D'amande)

Almond cream in a bowl with ground and whole almonds in the background.
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Crème d'amande, or French almond cream, is a smooth almond filling made from equal weights of butter, sugar, egg, and ground almonds. It comes together in minutes and is perfect for filling tarts, pithiviers, galette des rois, and other French pastries.

Ingredients

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  • 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (50 g) ground almonds
  • 6 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) icing (powdered) sugar
  • 1 large egg (50 g), room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour (optional)

*AP flour brings firmness to the cream while baking. 

** Multiply the ingredients by 1.5 to fill a 9-inch (23cm) tart. Double the recipe to garnish a Galette des Roi (for 6 people).  

Instructions

  1. Cut well-softened butter into cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. Add icing sugar and mix with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes. The butter mixture should become slightly whitish. Alternatively, use a hand whisk or a stand mixer (don't whisk for long, just mix).
  2. Add the whole egg and mix until smooth. Avoid beating for too long to prevent the butter from splitting.
  3. Add ground almonds, flavorings, and flour (if used), and mix well with a wooden spoon. You should obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream.
  4. The cream must be cooked. Use it immediately or refrigerate for 24-48 hours for later use. For convenient storage, transfer cream to a pastry bag and cover the bowl with plastic wrap before refrigerating.

Notes

  1. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
  2. Add eggs one at a time, better little by little, into the butter. This prevents the splitting of butter. Mix well, even vigorously, but not too long, between each addition.
  3. Don't whisk the almond cream to avoid incorporating air. Otherwise, it will swell during baking, resulting in an unattractive pastry. It does not change the taste, though.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/almond-cream-filling-creme-damande/