Blueberry Friands

Instructions

PREPARE: Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F /Gas mark 4. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, and generously brush a 12-hole standard muffin tin or non-stick friand pan (see notes) with a little of the butter. Place the friand or muffin pan in the fridge for 2 minutes, then brush again with butter. Place the prepared pans in the refrigerator while you continue the recipe.
MIX DRY INGREDIENTS: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl, then stir through the almonds and salt.
COMBINE WET AND DRY: In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until they are light and fluffy, only a minute or two; whipping them to soft peaks is unnecessary. Stir the egg whites into the dry ingredients, then pour in the melted butter, vanilla and lemon zest, mixing gently until combined.
BAKE: Spoon mixture into the muffin tin or friand pan cups, and place 5-6 blueberries and a pinch of chopped almonds on the top of each friand. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
REMOVE FROM PAN: Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. If you need to loosen the friands from the side of the tin, use a thin, sharp knife to loosen them, then twist gently before turning out.
COOL: Transfer the friands to a wire rack to cool.
SERVE: Friands can be eaten warm but are much better served at room temperature or even chilled, dusted lightly with extra icing sugar. These cakes will keep in an airtight container for several days, and they get better as they go on! If you have smaller muffin tins or a 6-hole friand tin, halve the recipe.

Notes

To make Gluten-free Blueberry Friands, replace the plain flour with gluten-free flour.
The temperature given is for a standard oven. If using the fan setting, you'll need to reduce the temperature to around 160-170° C fan-forced. Cooking time may vary.
Save the egg yolks! They are great for making mayonnaise, creme brulee or custard!
Fresh berries are best for this recipe. If using frozen berries, let them thoroughly defrost and drain before using.
A ‘standard’ muffin tin holds 75ml of liquid in each cup - the sort you would use for small cupcakes. A friand pan is an Australian invention that combines the shape of the original aspic mould with the ease of a muffin tin. I use and thoroughly recommend the Masterclass brand of friand pan, link below.
I love the flavour of bitter almonds, so I like to add a few drops of bitter almond oil to the friand batter. This is readily available in Germany and available online. Only a few drops are needed, as a little goes a long way!
Imperial measurements are approximate. I use and recommend a digital kitchen scale for best and most accurate results.

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition