Raspberry and Almond Pithiviers, Golden flaky pastry filled with frangipane and raspberries. They taste great cold or warm
You know when you bite into a dessert, and that first tastes means you suddenly just want everything and everyone else to go away so you can luxuriate in every little morsel?
So you can focus 100% of your attention of that perfect moment of enjoyment? That is what this Raspberry and Almond Pithivier does to you. Juicy, jammy raspberries, encased in soft almond frangipane, further encased in buttery golden pastry.
I’m going to rename these ‘anti-social pies’.
Hmmm, that doesn’t sound great. What about Bakewell puffs?
No, not great either. Ok, I’ll have to stick with Pithiviers – which I still struggle to pronounce. It doesn’t matter though. It’s not like I need to offer one to anyone. I’ll just keep them all to myself.
You may have noticed a few frangipane recipes lately. I’d been working on my Almond Croissant Twists over the past couple of weekends, and each time I looked at the leftover frangipane, I just couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. Hence the Chocolate Almond Banana Bread and these little delights. I may have gone up a notch on my belt, but at least I’m not being wasteful 🙂
I used ready-rolled, store-bought puff pastry for these, since I had some in the freezer. Simply a case of laying the pastry out, cutting out four small circles (approx. 6.5cm diameter) and four larger circles (approx. 11cm diameter). You don’t need special pastry cutters – just use what you can find around that size. I used my son’s fireman Sam glass, and a dipping bowl!
Then smooth a spoonful of frangipane on top of the smaller circles (leaving a small border), top with a few raspberries that have been mixed with a little raspberry jam and cornstarch, top again with more frangipane (to cover the raspberries and prevent leakage) and top with the larger pastry circle. It will be quite a tall mound of frangipane and raspberry that you need to cover with the pastry – which is why the top pastry circle is so much bigger.
Seal the edges of the pastry, and you could also crimp the edges if you wanted to. I did it by placing two fingers on the edge of the pastry, and pulling a line in using the back of a knife – like this:
Then just repeat around the whole pithivier.
Brush on some egg wash, and if you wanted, you could decorate the edges with pieces of flaked almond. One almond sliver in each ‘fingerprint’.
Then you need to make a little hole at the top of the pithiveir to allow steam to escape, and finally, you could gently score some curved lines to decorate the top. Totally optional.
The pithiviers need about 20 minutes in the oven.
After this, you can take out to cool. They taste great cold or warm and if you can’t wait for them to cool down, try pouring on some nice cold cream to cool them down a little straight from the oven…
The Raspberry and Almond Pithiviers Recipe:
Raspberry and Almond Pithiviers
Ingredients
Frangipane:
- 60 g unsalted butter softened
- 50 g golden caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 4 tbsp plain/all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 60 g ground almonds
- ½ tsp almond extract
Plus:
- 12 fresh raspberries
- 1 tbsp. raspberry jam
- 1/2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 300 g ready-rolled puff-pastry
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 tbsp. almond slivers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c/400f and line a baking sheet with some baking parchment.
- First make your frangipane. Beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until light and creamy (you can do this in a mixer or by hand). Add the egg and beat again for a minute. Add the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and almond extract and mix for 2 more minutes. Put to one side.
- Place your rolled out pastry on a lightly floured surface (or just leave it on the wrapping it comes in). Cut out four small circles approx. 6.5cm in diameter and four larger circles approx. 11cm in diameter.
- Place the smaller circles on the baking tray and spread a tsp of frangipane on each one, leaving a small border.
- Gently mix the raspberries with the jam and cornflour. Then pile 3 raspberries on top of each pastry base. Make sure you don't go over the layer of frangipane you've just pasted on.
- Top each one 1.5tsp-2tsp more frangipane, and spread it over and around the raspberries - so the raspberries aren't showing. It's a bit of a balancing act, but don't worry too much if you get a bit of the jam sticking out.
- Gently place one of the larger circles of pastry on top of one of the mounds. Seal the edges with your fingers and crimp if you want to (see picture). Repeat with the other three.
- Give each pithivier a light egg wash, and make a hole in the top of each pithivier using a cocktail stick. Score some lines onto the pastry to decorate if you wish. Decorate the edges of your pastry with the almond slivers. Then place in the oven.
- Cook at 200c/400f for 10 minutes, then turn down to 180c/350f and cook for another 10 minutes until golden brown and puffed up.
- Take out of the oven and leave to cool slightly before eating.
Recipe Notes
Nutritional Information
Kathryn says
October 17, 2018 at 9:09 amMade these with gluten free pastry and replaced the plain flour with GF flour, what a delicious treat for a coeliac. GF Puff pastry doesn’t rise the same, but still totally yummy.
Nancy E. Ayers says
June 5, 2017 at 2:06 pmLooks great! Could I make this with fresh sweet cherries? How would i prepare them?
Suchitra says
November 20, 2014 at 12:08 amI wouldn’t want to share these with anyone either!
Nicky Corbishley says
December 3, 2014 at 7:25 pm🙂
eatmunchlove says
November 17, 2014 at 3:49 amI’ve never heard of pithiviers before but they look deliciously gorgeous in your photos and so perfect in shape!!
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:32 amThanks Cynthia 🙂
spiceinthecity says
November 15, 2014 at 9:29 pmThese pithiviers look incredible Nicky! So dainty!
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:30 amThanks Naina 🙂
Great idea on the cranberry gingerbread scones btw. A perfect xmas combination!
eclecticoddsnsods says
November 15, 2014 at 10:27 amThis looks absolutely cooked and presented to perfection plus your photography is amazing x
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:28 amThanks Justine. I have to credit my husband with the photography. He also helped me to clear away the pithiviers (straight into our bellies :-))
Loretta says
November 15, 2014 at 1:52 amYummm, and look at that lovely cream to go with that fabulous creation 🙂
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:27 am🙂 Totally didn’t need the cream, but what the heck!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
November 14, 2014 at 11:32 pmNicky, these look fabulous! My mouth watered, then I pinned them to multiple boards – they are just that good!
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:26 amThanks so much for pinning Kristi 🙂 🙂
breakfastdramaqueen says
November 14, 2014 at 10:58 pmThese look so amazing! Your photos are beautiful!! 😀
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:26 amThanks Claudia 🙂 I’m loving your Orange and Coconut Overnight Oats – what a great idea! Gotta try it!!
chefjulianna says
November 14, 2014 at 10:01 pmThese un-pronouncable pastries look indescribably wonderful! 😀
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:22 amha ha thanks Julianna 🙂
Arl's World says
November 14, 2014 at 9:57 pmThey look wonderfully delicious!
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:22 amThanks Arl 🙂
Andrea Giang | Cooking with a Wallflower says
November 14, 2014 at 7:54 pmI have never had pithiviers before, but looking at these mouthwatering photos, I think I’ll have to remedy this real soon. Thanks for sharing on FF, Nicky!
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:22 amHappy FF Andrea, hope you give them a go, you won’t regret it 🙂
Julie is HostessAtHeart says
November 14, 2014 at 7:03 pmThese are just beautiful! They would take any table up a step. Thank you for such great instructions on the technique! I am going to have to try these!
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:21 amThanks Julie, they’re surprisingly easy to make. Hope you enjoy them 🙂
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says
November 14, 2014 at 6:29 pmThese look soooo yummy, i would definitely be anti social with them too!
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:21 am🙂 Anti-social eating – could be a new thing….
Tracy says
November 14, 2014 at 5:15 pmWow, Nicky these look amazzinngg. Even if I have no idea how to pronounce Pithiviers… I can say buttery-flaky-raspberry-deliciousness! Thank you so much for bringing them to Fiesta Friday! 🙂
Nicky Corbishley says
November 19, 2014 at 11:20 amHa ha thanks Tracy, glad I’m not the only one who can’t pronounce it!