Hazelnut Cream is a truly delightful and easy-to-make hazelnut pastry filling that captivates with its rich, buttery, and deeply toasted hazelnut flavor. Often likened to its almond counterpart, frangipane, this hazelnut variation offers a unique and sophisticated twist to your favorite baked goods. Whether you’re filling delicate croissants, crafting elegant tarts, or elevating puff pastry desserts, hazelnut cream provides a luscious, aromatic layer that is simply irresistible.
I didn’t know I needed this in my life! I have always been an almond cream girl, the more the merrier. Now it’s going to have to share the spotlight with hazelnut cream. I made this with your hazelnut pear tart, and I just had to let you know I’m obsessed! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mara
This hazelnut cream recipe is more than just a filling; it’s an experience. It forms the perfect foundation for spectacular desserts like this hazelnut pear tart, or it can be brilliantly substituted for almond cream in classic recipes such as a cherry almond tart. Its characteristic flavor profile, reminiscent of browned butter combined with the earthy nuttiness of toasted hazelnuts, adds a layer of complexity that will impress even the most discerning palates.
While incredibly versatile, it is paramount to remember that this hazelnut filling must be baked. Due to the presence of raw eggs, it is not suitable for uncooked applications like cake fillings or dips. Instead, embrace its baking potential in tarts, croissants, Danish pastries, or as an innovative filling for a King cake, offering a delightful departure from tradition.
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Adore This Hazelnut Cream
- What Exactly is Hazelnut Cream?
- Creative Ways to Utilize Hazelnut Cream
- Essential Ingredients for Hazelnut Cream
- Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Hazelnut Cream
- Chef Lindsey’s Expert Recipe Tip
- Flavorful Variations & Smart Substitutions
- Proper Storage for Hazelnut Cream
- Frequently Asked Questions About Hazelnut Cream
- The Complete Hazelnut Cream Recipe
- Before You Go: Explore More Delicious Recipes
Why You Will Adore This Hazelnut Cream
- A Symphony of Flavor: Experience an exciting and unexpected twist on the classic French pastry filling, almond cream. Hazelnuts bring a deeper, more profound nutty character that will surprise and delight your taste buds. Imagine a rich hazelnut croissant instead of the usual almond – a truly gourmet upgrade!
- Simpler Than You Think: Don’t be intimidated by “chef-developed” recipes. This hazelnut frangipane is crafted using the straightforward creaming method, making it as easy to prepare as your favorite batch of cookie dough. It’s perfect for both novice bakers and seasoned pastry enthusiasts seeking delicious results without complexity.
- Unmatched Versatility: The possibilities are endless! This hazelnut cream can be baked into a myriad of delectable treats. Use it as a filling for exquisite cookies, decadent bars, moist cakes, flaky croissants, elegant tarts, or light puff pastry for a dessert that always feels sophisticated yet effortless.
- Chef Lindsey’s Seal of Approval: This recipe has been rigorously tested and perfected by a professional chef, ensuring consistently perfect results every time you bake.
What Exactly is Hazelnut Cream?
Hazelnut cream, often referred to as hazelnut frangipane, is a rich and decadent baked custard. It is traditionally prepared by creaming together softened butter and sugar until light and airy, then gradually incorporating eggs, followed by hazelnut flour. The resulting mixture transforms in the oven into a light, flavorful, and incredibly aromatic filling. Its distinctive taste profile is a beautiful marriage of browned butter notes and the intense, earthy sweetness of toasted hazelnuts, making it a luxurious addition to any pastry.
Creative Ways to Utilize Hazelnut Cream
Like its esteemed cousin, almond frangipane, hazelnut cream is designed to be baked. Its rich flavor and tender texture truly shine once it has spent time in the oven. Here are some inspiring ideas for incorporating this exquisite filling into your next pastry masterpiece:
- Decadent Tart Filling: Spread a generous layer of hazelnut cream into a partially baked tart shell. Consider using a crisp almond tart crust recipe or a classic pâte sûcrée for the base. Crown your tart with your favorite fresh or elegantly poached fruits, such as vibrant berries or succulent red wine poached pears, then bake until the cream is beautifully set and golden brown.
- Gourmet Hazelnut Croissants: Elevate your breakfast or brunch by using this luscious hazelnut cream as a direct substitute for almond cream in your favorite croissant recipe. The resulting hazelnut croissants will offer an easy yet unexpected gourmet twist, perfect for special occasions or simply a luxurious morning treat.
- Rustic Galette Enhancer: Take your free-form tart game to the next level! Replace almond cream with this rich hazelnut filling in recipes like a nectarine blueberry galette. Hazelnuts possess a remarkable affinity for autumnal produce such as crisp apples, juicy pears, and bright citrus fruits, making them a superb choice for seasonal galettes.
- Luxurious Cake Layer: Don’t limit yourself to tarts and pastries! This hazelnut cream can also serve as a magnificent substitute for frangipane in cakes, adding moisture and an incredible depth of nutty flavor. Try it in a rhubarb frangipane cake for a truly memorable dessert.
- Puff Pastry Pockets: Create quick and elegant desserts by spreading hazelnut cream onto squares of puff pastry, topping with fruit, folding, and baking until golden. A simple yet sophisticated treat!
Essential Ingredients for Hazelnut Cream
Crafting the perfect hazelnut cream begins with high-quality ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving the desired flavor and texture:
- Unsalted Butter: Always opt for unsalted butter for baking. This allows you complete control over the salt content in your recipe, which can vary significantly between different butter brands. Room temperature butter is key for proper creaming.
- Granulated Sugar: Fine granulated sugar not only provides essential sweetness but also helps to aerate the butter during the creaming process. This aeration contributes to the light and fluffy texture of the finished hazelnut cream.
- Hazelnut Flour: The star of our show! I recommend using untoasted hazelnut flour for this recipe. It will develop a beautiful toasted flavor as it bakes in the oven. While pre-ground hazelnut flour is convenient, you can certainly grind your own toasted or untoasted hazelnuts for an even fresher flavor.
- Eggs: As a baked custard, eggs are indispensable. The eggs provide structure, allowing the hazelnut cream to rise delicately and set into a light, airy, and utterly fluffy consistency once baked.
- Cornstarch: This acts as a crucial thickener and stabilizer. Cornstarch works in conjunction with the eggs to bind all the ingredients together, ensuring a smooth, cohesive texture that bakes perfectly without separating.
- Grand Marnier or Frangelico (Optional, but Recommended): A touch of liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Frangelico, adds a subtle yet significant depth of flavor. While the alcohol bakes out during cooking, its essence remains, augmenting the natural hazelnut notes and providing a wonderfully rounded, complex finish to the cream.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Hazelnut Cream
Achieving perfect hazelnut cream is remarkably simple when you follow these clear, concise instructions. Remember, additional details and precise measurements can always be found in the comprehensive recipe card below!
Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Beat them together on medium speed until the mixture becomes wonderfully light, pale, and fluffy. This crucial step incorporates air, which is essential for a light-textured cream.
Step 2: Incorporate Eggs Gradually
With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the eggs, one at a time. Be sure to beat thoroughly after each addition until the egg is fully incorporated into the butter mixture. This process is similar to how you would prepare a rich cookie dough, ensuring a smooth emulsion.
Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients
Once the eggs are fully mixed, add the hazelnut flour and cornstarch to the bowl. Mix on low speed until all the dry ingredients are just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix at this stage.
Step 4: Stir in Alcohol (Optional)
Finally, if you are using Grand Marnier or Frangelico, add the alcohol to the mixture and mix briefly until it is just combined. The subtle essence of the liqueur enhances the hazelnut flavor beautifully.
And that’s it! Your luxurious hazelnut cream is now ready to be used immediately in your baking projects or stored for future culinary adventures!
Chef Lindsey’s Expert Recipe Tip
The secret to an exceptionally light and fluffy hazelnut cream lies in the creaming of the butter and sugar. Don’t rush this step! Unlike making chewy cookies where you might just mix until a paste forms, for this cream, you want to beat the butter and sugar until they are truly light, pale, and visibly fluffy. This extended creaming process effectively traps tiny pockets of air within the mixture, which then expand during baking, resulting in an airy, delicate, and melt-in-your-mouth filling. It’s a fundamental technique that makes all the difference.
Flavorful Variations & Smart Substitutions
While this hazelnut cream recipe is perfect as is, it also serves as an excellent canvas for culinary creativity. Feel free to experiment with these variations:
- Classic Almond Frangipane: If you’re a fan of traditional French pastries, simply substitute almond flour for the hazelnut flour, and you will have transformed this recipe into a classic almond frangipane. The technique remains the same, offering a familiar yet equally delicious outcome.
- Elevated Alcohol Choices: The choice of alcohol is entirely yours, and it truly helps to round out the overall flavor profile. While Grand Marnier and Frangelico are superb, consider other liqueurs that complement hazelnuts. A dash of dark rum, brandy, or even a nut-based liqueur like Amaretto could add an interesting dimension. For an alcohol-free version, a splash of hazelnut extract or vanilla extract can be used. Experiment to find your favorite pairing, especially depending on the fruits or other flavors you are incorporating into your dessert.
- Spiced Hazelnut Cream: For a warm and inviting flavor, particularly in fall or winter desserts, add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to the hazelnut flour. These spices pair wonderfully with hazelnuts and baked fruit.
- Chocolate Hazelnut Dream: Swirl in a tablespoon or two of melted dark chocolate or cocoa powder along with the hazelnut flour for a rich, chocolate-hazelnut variation. This is especially delightful in tarts or croissants.
Proper Storage for Hazelnut Cream
Hazelnut cream is an excellent component to prepare in advance, making your baking projects more manageable. Once prepared, you can use it immediately, or store it for later. Transfer the cream to a clean, airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. For longer storage, it freezes beautifully for up to 2 months. When ready to use from the freezer, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hazelnut Cream
No, there is no need to chill hazelnut cream before baking! It is designed to be used directly after preparation. You can spread it evenly with an offset spatula or transfer it to a piping bag for a more precise and controlled application on your tarts, croissants, or puff pastry.
Absolutely! This is one of the best features of hazelnut cream. It’s a fantastic make-ahead component, particularly useful when preparing more intricate desserts like tarts or elaborate pastries. Store it in a clean, sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months. This advance preparation allows you to assemble your desserts quickly when you need them.
Yes, this recipe is designed to be highly scalable. Having been developed in a commercial kitchen, it can be easily multiplied to make as large a batch as your stand mixer can comfortably hold. Just ensure your mixing bowl has enough capacity for the increased volume of ingredients.
When baked, hazelnut cream transforms into a tender, custardy texture that is light and fluffy, yet rich. It holds its shape beautifully and provides a delightful contrast to flaky pastry crusts or soft fruits.
Yes, you can! If using whole hazelnuts, it’s best to toast them lightly first for enhanced flavor, then cool them completely. Grind them finely in a food processor with a tablespoon or two of the sugar from the recipe to prevent them from turning into butter. Ensure the texture is fine and flour-like for the best results.
Hazelnut Cream
Chef Lindsey
10 minutes
0 minutes
10 minutes
24
people
Comment
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Ingredients
-
250
g
Butter
room temperature -
250
g
Sugar
-
250
g
Hazelnut flour
-
150
g
Eggs
-
40
g
Cornstarch
-
30
g
Grand Marnier or Frangelico
Instructions
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This is not like making chewy cookies where you cream just enough to make a paste. Creaming traps air in the butter and sugar, which creates a lighter, fluffier filling.
-
Slowly add the eggs in several additions, beating well after each.
-
Add the hazelnut flour and the cornstarch, mixing well.
-
Add the alcohol and mix to combine.
Notes
Flavor Tips – The alcohol can be eliminated or changed to your taste. It really rounds out the flavor. Experiment and see which you like best depending on the fruit or other flavors you are incorporating.
Variations – You can substitute almond flour for the hazelnut flour and it will transform into frangipane.
Storage – Use immediately or store in a clean, sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories:
400
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
28
g
|
Protein:
5
g
|
Fat:
31
g
|
Saturated Fat:
12
g
|
Polyunsaturated Fat:
1
g
|
Monounsaturated Fat:
5
g
|
Trans Fat:
1
g
|
Cholesterol:
91
mg
|
Sodium:
152
mg
|
Potassium:
24
mg
|
Fiber:
2
g
|
Sugar:
22
g
|
Vitamin A:
588
IU
|
Vitamin C:
1
mg
|
Calcium:
41
mg
|
Iron:
1
mg
Dessert
French
400
Before You Go
We sincerely hope you enjoyed creating and savoring this professional chef-tested recipe for Hazelnut Cream. It’s a versatile and delicious filling that brings a touch of gourmet elegance to any home baker’s repertoire. We encourage you to explore its many applications, from simple tarts to sophisticated croissants. Don’t forget to check out our other equally delicious, chef-developed custard recipes for more inspiration!
Happy baking, and may your kitchen always be filled with delightful aromas!