Ground Almonds

Autumn Spiced Pumpkin Friands

/ Claire / Leave a comment

These seasonal little tea cakes are made with pumpkin, spice and topped with a crunchy oatmeal streusel and a little maple glaze. They are full of autumn spices and the perfect addition to an autumn picnic, afternoon tea, or an after school snack. I also like to pop them into lunchboxes.

Pumpkin friands

Friands are so easy to make and there are so many variations to try and I think I will add a few raisins to these next time.

Ingredients:
6 large egg whites
250g icing sugar
125g ground almonds
100g plain flour
Zest of half an orange
1tbs pumpkin pie spice
160g melted butter, plus a little extra for brushing the friand tin
½ cup unsweetened pumpkin puree

Streusel:
1tbsp butter
2tbsp plain flour
tbsp rolled oats
1tbsp soft brown sugar
½tsp cinnamon

Maple Glaze:
½ cup sieved icing sugar
2-3tbs maple syrup – enough to thin

Pumpkin Friand1

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/approx 350°F and brush the friand tin with a little melted butter.

I make my friands in a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, but they can be made just as easily by hand or using a hand mixer.

Briefly whisk the egg whites, breaking them up until they are frothy.

Add the ground almonds, pumpkin puree, zest, butter, icing sugar and then fold in the flour until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, leaving a little room for the streusel.

Pumpkin Friand

Scatter a little of the streusel over each one and bake for 25-30 minutes, until they have risen, turned golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Pumpkin Friand slice

Leave to rest for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack. Leave to cool completely before adding a little glaze.

Blueberry and Lemon Friands

/ Claire / Leave a comment

My children all love blueberries and are mad on blueberry muffins. They love friands too, so before the summer is out I decided to cook a batch of blueberry ones which went down very well indeed!

Blueberry Friands

Since getting the friand tin, I have absolutely loads of ideas for different versions of friands, including using different types of nuts, but I’m trying to space them out a bit so they don’t get bored of them.

They are just so easy to make, I have to keep trying out different recipes. So far they have all been really good. This recipe is very similar to the blackberry recipe the other week, but there are a few tweaks. I use the Two Chicks pasteurised egg whites that I buy from the chilled section in the supermarket. As you can get two batches from each carton, I tend to test out a new one with the second half. The next one will be an autumnal themed one I think…!

Blueberry Friands overhead

Ingredients:
6 large egg whites/250ml Two Chicks pasteurised egg whites
250g icing/powdered sugar, sieved
130g ground almonds
100g plain flour, sieved
Zest of one un-waxed lemon
160g melted butter + extra for buttering the pan
1 large punnet of blueberries

Preheat the oven to 180°C and brush the friand tin with melted butter

Method:
In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk the egg whites until frothy and then add the melted butter and lemon zest.

On low speed (because it goes everywhere if you don’t) add the icing sugar and fold in the flour until just combined. Add in ¾ of the blueberries, leaving some to stud the top with. Mix these in by hand as you don’t want them to break up.

Using an ice cream scoop, divide the mixture equally between a 12 hole friand pan. Place 2-3 blueberries on the top of each cake and gently press them in. They will sink into the cakes a little as they bake.

Blueberry Friands double shot

Bake for around 30 minutes, until they have risen and turned golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Blueberry Friand1

Leave to rest for 15 minutes before gently turning out onto a wire cooling rack and dust with icing sugar.

Blackberry & Lemon Friands

/ Claire / Leave a comment

Blackberries are in season right now and perfect for friands

Blackberry friands

Ingredients:
6 large egg whites/250ml Two Chicks pasteurised egg whites
250g icing/powdered sugar, sieved
130g ground almonds
95g plain flour, sieved
Zest of one un-waxed lemon
160g melted butter
Blackberries – I got giant ones, so used 2-3 per cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter the friand tin

Friands are so easy to make and once you have shelled out for the tin, there are so many variations to make. These can easily be made in a muffin pan too.

Blackberries are in season at the moment and I picked up some huge, absolutely delicious and sweet blackberries on special offer this weekend. The combination of the lemony cake, studded with the big juicy blackberries were a real hit in my house.

Blackberry Friands2

Method:
Briefly whisk the egg whites until broken down and a little frothy, you do not need whip them.

Add the zest, butter, icing sugar and fold in the flour until just combined.

Spoon a little mixture into each hole in the prepared tin and place in a blackberry or two. Cover the berries with the rest of the mixture, divided equally between all the holes and place another blackberry (or two) on the top.

Blackberry Friand2

Bake for around 30 minutes, until they have risen, turned golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave to rest for 15 minutes before gently turning out onto a wire cooling rack and dust with icing sugar and a little extra lemon zest if you like.

Blackberry Friand