Made of almond flour, egg whites, butter and sugar, friands are an Australian / New Zealand invention, a relation of the French financier. Usually small oval shaped cakes, Yotam Ottolenghi’s version, from his cookbook SIMPLE, is a further reinvention into something between a friand and a clafoutis. This one was made by Deborah with peaches, blackberries and raspberries.
Preheat your oven to 190°C (325ºF). Place 200g (7 oz) of berries and 4 peeled and sliced peaches in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 60g (2 oz) of caster sugar and ½ a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Allow it to macerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 60g (2 oz) of plain flour, 200g (7 oz) of icing sugar, 120g (4¼ oz) of almond meal, ½ a teaspoon cinnamon and ⅛ of a teaspoon of salt. Melt 180g (2¾ oz) of butter and allow it to cool slightly. In another bowl lightly whisk the whites of 4-5 large eggs until frothy and then stir them and the melted butter into the flour mixture. Mix well to combine. Line a 20cm (8″) x 30cm (11″) baking dish with parchment and pour in the batter. Top with the fruit and their accumulated juices and bake for 40 minutes, covering with foil for the final 10 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Allow to cool a little before serving with cream or ice cream.
michelle picker cooks 