While we’re on the subject of extremely lovely things (we were, weren't we?), I’ve long been collecting a list of words that are too beautiful not to say or write over and over again, and here are some for you. Celestial, cotton, sultry, papaya, crisp, freesia, eclectic, marigold, smoky, lush, vellichor, effervescent, delicacy, frangipane. (More on that last one below.)
We can’t talk about gorgeous words without poetry, really, unless we’re talking about someone turning to you to say “I love you” for the first time. Or the fiftieth time. Or a two-year-old’s babbling, bubbly speech, their words tripping over giggles. Or the lyrics of Nathaniel Rateliff’s “Time Stands” as he belts out the song to a completely empty Red Rocks Amphitheater. Or the product page of McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream limited releases: central Coast wildflower honey from the hives at San Marcos Farms stirred in rich, sweet cream then studded with chunks of our housemade sweet & salty cornbread cookies. Or Timothy Liu’s poem “The Lovers”:
I was always afraid
of the next card
the psychic would turn
over for us—
Forgive me
for not knowing
how we were
every card in the deck.
Now that is stunning. As in, it stunned me.
Moving back to those first words. Frangipane I especially like, perhaps because it reminds me of the frangipani tree that grows in places like Brazil and Florida, its fragrant multi-colored flowers perfuming the night air. Or perhaps because it tastes as smooth and interesting as it sounds. I’ve only ever encountered frangipane in predictable places: baked into pear tarts or tucked inside croissants. Frangipane is simply almond cream, made by mixing ground almonds with flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and a bit of vanilla. It’s thicker than pastry cream but not as thick as nut butter, with a pleasant graininess from the ground nuts.
I’ve often wondered why you never see a version made with peanuts or pecan or cashews—and why even classic almond versions don’t have other flavorings. Thus began some experimentation, ending up with…ta da…tahini frangipane! (It turns out that cashews and pistachios both make for an excellent frangipane, as well as adding cocoa powder for a chocolate almond version, and cardamom to the pistachio one. More on that soon if you’re interested?) I’d like to try adding other ingredients too: coconut or citrus zest or maple.
Tahini frangipane is excellent, and while it would be very good in a tart or cake or scone, I baked it into babka and okay yes GOOD STUFF. Have at it.
Tahini Frangipane Babka
Makes two loaves
For the dough
1/2 cup (113ml) whole milk
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or active dry yeast
3 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 tablespoons (141g) cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup (49g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/4 cups (510g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
For the tahini frangipane filling
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup (49g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup almond meal
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup tahini
Lightly grease or line with parchment two 9” x 5” loaf pans or 9” x 4” pans.
Warm the milk slightly to lukewarm in a small saucepan or in the microwave. If using active dry yeast, stir in the yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. If using instant yeast, you can skip the stirring step.
Transfer the milk and yeast to a large bowl or a stand mixer and whisk in the eggs and egg yolk and vanilla. Add the sugar, salt, and flour and mix together. Add the butter, a small bit at a time, continuing to beat until the dough comes together. It doesn't need to be smooth, and will still look pretty shaggy, but that’s fine. It will smooth out as you go. In the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, knead the dough for at least 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. If it looks way too sticky, add a bit of flour as needed until smooth and bouncy.
Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in it. Cover it with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit in a warm place until the dough is doubled with size, about 1 1/2 hours.
At this point, you can either continue on and bake the babka, or if you don’t have time or want to make it ahead, you can gently deflate the dough with your hands by pressing down on it, and then refrigerate it (covered) overnight. This will actually improve the flavor!
While your dough is rising, making the frangipane filling: Beat the butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add the almond meal and mix well, then add the egg and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Add the flour and tahini and mix until smooth.
Once the dough has risen, divide it in half. One at a time, turn each piece out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 15” x 11” rectangle: don’t worry too much about the size, you just want it roughly this large. If the dough fights you, let it rise for a few minutes until it is relaxed enough to press, stretch, and roll into shape. Sometimes if the dough is very obedient and pliable, you can just use your hands to press and stretch it without needing to roll it.
When your dough is prepped, add the filling. If you’ve made the filling ahead of time and kept it in the fridge, be sure to bring it to room temperature before using it. I actually find that it’s helpful to have it just ever-so-slightly warmed, which makes it more spreadable, but you don’t want to over-warm it or it’ll be too messy.
Using a spoon, spread the filling across the dough (dividing it evenly between both dough pieces), leaving an inch or two around the edges.
Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough lengthwise into a log. Using moistened fingers, pinch and seal the seam.
Cut each log in half crosswise. Take the two halves and lay them across each other—to form a cross. Twist them gently together, spiraling them (they won’t twist much as they’re bulky—that’s okay), and then place them in the prepared pans. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If you want the bread to be shinier, whisk together an egg yolk with some water and brush it over the top of the bread. This is totally optional! You can also wait until you pull the breads from the oven and immediately brush them with melted butter, which also gives a nice shine.
Place the bread in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until evenly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.