LAST UPDATED: BY NICKKI THOMPSON FIRST PUBLISHED: 6 Comments
Friands are little cakes made with whisked egg whites, ground almonds, icing sugar and a small amount of flour. They are very light, moist and buttery.
These fruity raspberry and peach Friands are so quick and easy to make and taste absolutely divine.
what are friands?
A Friand is a small French cake made from ground almonds and whisked egg whites. They are also known in France as a Financier, but they are usually plainer (no fruit or additional flavourings).
Friands are incredibly popular in Australia and New Zealand. Once you’ve tried one, you’ll understand why!
what are friands made of?
Friands are made from egg whites, icing sugar, melted butter, ground almonds and a small amount of flour. They have a golden, chewy crumb but are light, moist and buttery on the inside. They are like little frangipane cakes so if you’re a fan of almond bakes, you’ll love these!
what is a friand tin?
It’s a oval shaped individual cake tin. You can find them online, but you can use a muffin tin instead. Your Friands won’t be the correct shape, but they will taste good! No matter what tin you use, you must make sure you butter the tin well. This will give the Friands a golden crust and ensure that the cakes slip easily out of the tin.
Tips for making perfect friands
Make sure you grease your muffin or Friand tin really well. There is nothing worse than taking the time to make some delicious cakes and not being able to get them out of the tin!
You can use cake release spray to grease the tin if you like, but I always brush the inside of the tin with some of the melted butter – this gives the Friands a lovely golden crust.
Make sure your egg whites are at room temperature before you start whisking them.
You don’t need to whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks like you would when making meringue – Whip them until they are very white, frothy and on the verge of holding a soft peak.
Sift all the dry ingredients together and fold them gently into the whisked egg whites – you don’t want to knock all the air out you just spent time creating!
When you pour in the cooled melted butter, it will look like you have a bit of an oily mess. Don’t worry – just keep gently folding in the batter until you have a smooth, shiny batter.
Commonly asked questions
Can I use frozen Raspberries in this friand recipe?
Yes, you can use frozen raspberries. There is no need to defrost them – just use them straight from the freezer.
how long do friands keep for?
Because these Friands contain fresh fruit, they should be eaten within 2 days of baking.
can you freeze friands?
Yes. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
can i make this friand recipe gluten free?
Yes, you can make this recipe gluten free by simply removing the plain flour from the recipe and adding another 50g ground almonds.
got any questions?
If you need any help regarding this recipe, please leave a comment below! Rate the recipe out of 5 by clicking on the stars in the recipe card.
Taken a picture of your Friands? I would love to see! Tag me on Instagram #sweetsavouryblog
looking for more fruity cakes and bakes?
- Lemon raspberry ricotta cake
- Raspberry Bakewell Cake
- Raspberry and Lemon Cupcakes
- Coconut and Raspberry Jam Cake
Raspberry and Peach Friands
Yield: Makes 8 Friands
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Friands are little cakes made with whisked egg whites, ground almonds, icing sugar and a small amount of flour. These fruity raspberry and peach Friands are so quick and easy to make and taste absolutely divine.
Ingredients
- 150g butter
- 75g ground almonds
- 180g icing sugar
- 50g plain flour
- 5 egg whites (they should weigh 150g in total)
- 100g raspberries
- One large ripe peach, cut into small chunks (about 1-2 cm)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F.
- Melt the butter in a small pan. Once it has melted, remove from the heat and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the holes of your Friand tin with a little of the melted butter. Set aside the remaining butter and allow to cool completely.
- Sift together the ground almonds, icing sugar and flour in a medium bowl, breaking up any lumps.
- Lightly whisk the egg whites until they are very frothy - you don't need to whisk them to stiff peaks, just break them up a little.
- Lightly fold in the melted butter, sieved ground almonds, icing sugar and flour, taking care not to knock the air out of the mixture. Fold in the fruit, keeping a few berries and peach chunks for placing on top of the friands.
- Pour the mixture into the greased tin, filling each hole no more than two thirds full.Place the remaining raspberries and peaches on top of each friand and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden, risen and springy to touch.
- Remove the Friands from the oven and leave them in the tin for about 5 minutes. Run a butter knife or small spatula around the edge of the cakes to loosen the edges. Turn the tin upside down and give it a couple of sharp taps. With any luck, they should all fall out of the tin! Once the Friands have cooled, dust with icing sugar and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 327Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 202mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 25gProtein: 5g
Calories and Nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be used as indicative figures only.
