These are not muffins, these are not cup cakes, these indeed are a friand!
A friand originates from France and is often mistaken for a muffin or cupcake. A friands principle ingredients are almond meal, powdered sugar, egg whites and butter.
Your probably still confused on how a muffin or cupcake is different. Well a friand has icing sugar and egg whites, instead of muffins which has whole eggs and lots of flour. This makes the friands dreamy and light. While the ground almonds keep the friands chewy and moist.
I love friands, I think more then muffins because you don't find them often in cafes, so they are a real treat! Since friands are quite shallow you don't rely on gluten structure to produce a fantastic texture. So these beauties are so yummy gluten free, I don't think I would know the difference between gluten friands and gluten free friands.
Once you can make a base friand, you can easily adapt your own flavours and add your own fruit, fillings or nuts.
An easy way to tell that these are friands opposed to muffins, is that they are shaped oval. They are baked in special oval shallow tins too.
Now you may be thinking why are the named friands, well the translation for 'friand' is dainty or gourmet who delights in delicate tastes' These fine friands definitely live up to there expectation.
These friands also freeze really well! So if you are baking and a recipe only requires egg yolks. Set aside your egg whites and whip up a batch of friands using those egg whites. Then freeze that batch and you will have baking on your hands if any unexpected visitors drop in for morning tea.
I think these friands pair well with a hot 'english breakfast' tea and a dollop of unsweetened yogurt on the side.
The crumb and texture of friands is similar to muffins, but a lot more heavenly and moist. These friands are the perfect combination of chewy and moist texture that it will make your mouth water.
I love eating these friands with a small cake fork, just taking small bites with yogurt on the side. The friand is not overly sweet but enough for your taste buds to approve.
Additional, you could pour on some rhubarb sauce, this is unsweetended so it contrast well with the friand. It keeps the friand extremly moist. It is a beautiful rich colour that makes the dish look quite stunning!
Rhubarb sauce is extremly easy to make, just boil your rhubarb and strain it through a sift. Reserve the compote to put on gronola or muesli and pour the sauce into salad dressing bottles.
These are such stunning little cakes, I added sticks of baked marinated rhubarb to the tops of the cakes. This gives the friands a lovely contrast between the baked fruit in the friand and the baked fruit on top.
Grab yourself a tea and enjoy making these beauties!!
Pick some fresh rhubarb! I love homegrown rhubarb!!
Cut off the leaves so just the stalks are left on the rhubarb.
Just having a little camera fun with the rhubarb stalks...
Place powdered sugar, almond meal,ginger and mixed spices in a bowl.
Mix till combined.
Grate some lemon zest into the dry ingredients.
Beat the egg whites on medium speed for 2 1/2 mins, add 1/8 cup sugar and beat the egg whites until a silky meringue is formed.
Melt the butter and pour it into the dry ingredients.
Fold the dry ingredients and melted butter together until the butter has been well asorbed by the dry ingredients.
Add your meringue to the dry ingredients and fold the egg whites gently, trying not to deflate the meringue.
Fold gently, turning the bowl if needed.
Keep folding till the mixture resembles a loose batter.
This is a nice loose batter.
Add your baked rhubarb sticks on top of the batter, the batter is already poured into the friands tin.
Place these friands in a preheated oven 200 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Delish!
Ingredients
75g plain flour (can use coconut flour if you want to make it gluten free)
200g icing sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp mixed spices
125g ground almonds
1 lemon zest
5 egg whites
175g butter, melted
4 sticks of rhubarb (decoartion)
Method
Pick some fresh rhubarb
Place powdered sugar, almond meal,ginger and mixed spices in a bowl.
Mix till combined. Add zest of 1 lemon.
Beat the egg whites on medium speed for 2 1/2 mins, add 1/8 cup sugar and beat the egg whites until a silky meringue is formed.
Melt the butter and pour it into the dry ingredients.
Fold the dry ingredients and melted butter together until the butter has been well asorbed by the dry ingredients.
Add your meringue to the dry ingredients and fold the egg whites gently, trying not to deflate the meringue.
Fold the meringue in gently, turning the bowl as you go. Continue folding the meringue into the mixture until it resembles a loose batter.
Add your baked rhubarb sticks on top of the batter, the batter is already poured into the friands tin.
Place these friands in a preheated oven 200 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
I hope you make these french delights,
Until next time lovelies..
