Almond Cream

Almond cream, a.k.a. frangipane cream, is used frequently in traditional French baking. There are many ways to make it: with pastry cream, extra egg yolk, almond paste, brandy, or orange essence. Most recipes contain quite a bit of sugar, but since I usually use almond cream in a rich, sugary pastry, I add less. I use almond meal instead of breaking down almonds in the food processor; it saves an extra step and tastes just as good.