What is franjipan?

[ChowDownBob]

I saw it on a cooking show the other night, well not it because I couldn't work out what it was, but it seemed to be connected to cakes and desserts.

They kept saying franjipan but I didn't know whether it was a type of cake, a dressing, an ingredient, or what?

So what, exactly, is franjipan?

 

[Berties]

Frangipane (or frangipani) is an almond-flavoured sweet pastry cream used when preparing various desserts, sweets, cakes and pancakes. It is made with milk, sugar, flour, eggs and butter, mixed with either crushed macaroons or with ground almonds.
Lifted straight off the bbc web site !
It's a almond cake mixture normally baked in a sweet pastry case

 

[cupcakechef]

The only frangipani I know is the flower!

 

[winterybella]

Cupcakechef, well thank God I am not the only one. I started reading and kept telling myself that as far as I know it's a flower or plant. I even started to wonder if it was something unique to my country. A quick Google search revealed just what you presented. Let's just say we have learned something new.

 

[Diane Lane]

I've always heard it mentioned in regard to how it differs from marzipan, which I think many are more familiar with. This site has a good explanation of each, and the differences between them, in case anyone's interested. http://www.mdze.com/the-difference-between-frangipane-and-marzipan/

Excerpt: "Frangipane, a lightly almond-flavored, creamy substance is usually used as a component in pastries, as a filling with fruit in light pastry, or layered between round, flat cakes called pithiviers."

Another excerpt: "These same powdered almonds speedily became the basis of the creamy confection we know as frangipane that appears as filling in so many excellent dessert dishes. It is a far creamier and lighter substance than marzipan and may not be molded or sculpted in the same manner. A basic recipe uses only ground almonds, eggs, sugar, butter, and flour. Other recipes leave out the flour, or add rum, rum extract, vanilla, or lemon flavoring to modify the basic filling."

 

[kgord]

frangipane should not be confused with frangelico which is a nutty flavored liquore. Nor should it be confused with frankincense which is a type of scent. I really was not familiar with frangipane until this discussion started. I would have thought that it was something similar to marzipan which seems to be in a different family.