Baked Almond Frangipane Crêpes with Spiced Plum Compote and Vanilla Ice Cream

Plums are an amazing fruit to cook with—they take on a complex, spicy character when heated, which I’m echoing here by adding a few warm spices. They also pair beautifully with almonds. Any kind of plum will work for the compote, but some are juicier than others, so pay attention as you cook and adjust the cooking time accordingly. You can use this plum compote in fruit galettes and tarts, too.

The frangipane filling creates a tender, almondy layer in the center of the crêpes, much like the inside of an almond croissant.

Makes 8 filled crêpes; serves 8

FOR THE FRANGIPANE

1 cup/120 g slivered almonds

½ cup/115 g unsalted butter, at cool room temperature, cut into small pieces

1½ cups/140 g confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup/30 g all-purpose flour

½ tsp kosher salt

2 large eggs

½ tsp pure almond extract

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

FOR THE SPICED PLUM COMPOTE

2 lb/910 g ripe plums (about 8 medium), halved, pitted, and cut into ¾-in/2-cm wedges

¼ cup/60 ml water

¼ cup/50 g granulated sugar, plus more as needed

¼ cup/50 g lightly packed light brown sugar

¼ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

½ tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed

8 Versatile Crêpes or your choice

1 pint premium ice cream (vanilla, lemon, ginger, or brown sugar would all be great choices)

MAKE THE FRANGIPANE

Whiz the almonds in a food processor until very finely ground. Drop in the butter, confectioners’ sugar, flour, and salt and pulse to blend well. Add the eggs, almond extract, and vanilla and whiz for about 30 seconds to aerate the mixture, which will make the frangipane puff nicely when it bakes. (You can make the frangipane up to 2 days ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly onto its surface so it doesn’t dry out.)

MAKE THE SPICED PLUM COMPOTE

Combine the plum, water, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring slowly to dissolve the sugars, about 5 minutes. reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the plums are very soft and beginning to fall apart and the juices have thickened quite a bit, 15 to 20 minutes. (If the fruit is getting mushy but the juices are still thin, transfer most of the fruit to a bowl, increase the heat, and boil the juices until they’re nicely thickened; then return the fruit to the pan.) Taste the compote and adjust with more granulated sugar or lemon juice (or spices). Let the compote cool slightly before serving. (You can make the compote up to 3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Gently reheat it in a saucepan before serving.)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F/220°C/gas 7.

Lay the crêpes presentation-side down on a clean work surface. Spread the bottom half of each one with ¼ cup/60 ml of the frangipane, leaving a ½-in/12-mm border—the frangipane will spread a bit more as it bakes. Fold the top half of each crêpe over the bottom half to form a half-moon. Transfer the crêpes to a large rimmed baking sheet and arrange them in a single layer. They can touch, but they shouldn’t overlap. Bake until the frangipane is set and slightly puffed and the tops and edges of the crêpes are nicely browned, 7 to 10 minutes.

Transfer a crêpe to each of eight dessert plates. Spoon some of the compote across the center of each one, top with a scoop of ice cream, and serve right away.