Frangipane

I first fell in love with Frangipane when The Farmette Cookbook came out last spring. Before that, I fell in love with the Instagram and blog of its author, Imen McDonnell, and the snippets of her life on a farm in Ireland. (You can read my story about Imen and how she traded her high heels for a sturdy pair of Wellingtons here.) Now that I've discovered this easy and oh-so-comforting dessert, it has remained a staple in my stack of well-loved recipes.

Frangipane is one of those desserts that's under-rated, maybe because there's such a taste of simplicity to its almond crumb. But when dressed up with a slathering of freshly whipped cream and berries for garnish, this dessert feels just right with a cup of coffee for breakfast, or an afternoon cup of tea with a friend, or to pack up and take to a party.

While I am not usually given to gluten-free baking, it is nice to have some recipes for friends who prefer this.  It's also an easy dessert to whip up for last minute guests. It literally takes about 6 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of baking. As long as you have almond meal (flour) in your pantry, the rest of the ingredients are basic - sugar, butter, eggs.

So the next time you need something simple and sweet, try baking Frangipane.  I feel pretty sure you'll come to love it as much as I have.


Recipe....

Claire's Frangipane 

Claire's Frangipane

Recipe by Imen McDonnell

Makes one 8-inch cake

3/4 cup (150g) white sugar, plus a bit more for dusting cake when baked
2/3 cup (150g) butter at room temperature
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) almond flour
1/4 cup (33g) all-purpose flour (*optional)

Process

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
• Beat the sugar and butter together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, then slowly pour in the flours and blend well.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, dust with sugar, and cool.
• Slice and serve with a dollop of cream or just on its own.

*Imen states in her cookbook that she omits the all-purpose flour (with no substitution) for a gluten-free version and it is just as terrific.