Almond cream is a fundamental baked sweet filling to master in French pastry making. It adds subtle almond flavor and an element of richness to tarts, pies, and breakfast pastries.
Chef's notes
Almond cream that is made with butter and eggs that are too cold will cause the mixture to separate. An easy way to fix this is to transfer the mixture to a stainless steel bowl and slightly warm it over hot water. Remove from the water and stir. This may need to be repeated a few times until it becomes smooth.
Steps
1
Prepare the Almond Cream
Ingredients
20 g Cake flour
100 g Confectioners’ sugar
100 g Unsalted European-style butter, 82% fat, room temperature
1 g Fine sea salt or fine table salt
100 g Almond powder, with or without skin
60 g Whole eggs
20 g Dark or white rum, optional
To begin, scale all of the ingredients precisely and bring to room temperature.
Sift the flour on parchment paper and set aside.
Sift the confectioners’ sugar on a separate parchment paper and set aside.
Mix the butter and salt in a stand mixer bowl. Add the confectioners’ sugar and almond powder. Mix for about 1 min on low speed, being mindful not to incorporate too much air. Gradually add the eggs in stages on low speed to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated.
Add the flour on low speed for 30 sec or until it comes together, but do not overmix. If desired, add the alcohol and incorporate.
2
Storage
Storing & Shelf Life:
Almond cream is best when baked fresh. Refrigerate raw almond cream for up to 2 to 3 days. Soften at room temperature before use. Freeze almond cream in an airtight container for up to 1 month. To defrost, transfer it to the refrigerator overnight and soften at room temperature before use.
