Hazlenut Friands

Do you remember when friands were all the rage?


It wasn't that long ago actually, every cafe in the country sold them and they were the new "In Thing".

It didn't last.

In a bloodless but sticky battle, the cupcake coup was successful in routing these delicious morsels and the only ones I see now are the same two-flavoured, mass produced, pre-packaged, frozen ones from the wholesalers that you find in such places as McDonald's. It frustrates me that we have the exact same ones in our freezer at work, as the "safe" gluten free menu option. We have dozens if not hundreds of egg whites going to waste in our kitchen every week, and it seems such a shame not to convert them into fresh, flavoursome friands.

At home , being the thrifty housewife that I am, I save all my extra eggwhites in little baggies in the freezer. They keep really well and are always on hand for dessert emergencies. You know those times when you're separating eggs and you get a little yolk in them? Next time don't throw them out or feed them to the dog, bag them and write on them so you don't try and use them for meringues or other sensitive beasties, and use them for friands instead.

It's such a simple process. No creaming, no beating, just chuck it all in and stir together. So easy peasy. I know friands usually use almond meal, but I just happen to have an open bag of hazelnut meal that needs using up and some hazelnut oil that is getting old - and I hate waste!

I use a basic 1 2 3 recipe reminder for my friands :

1 cup of gluten free flour
2 cups of nut meal
3 cups of pure icing sugar
12 egg whites
300 gr melted butter or oil
Extra flavourings like fruit, chocolate, etc.

<>

Mix all the dry ingredients together

Stir the egg whites with a fork to break them up

Add the whites and butter/oil into the dry ingredients

Now is the time to put in the extra flavour base. Today I had a heap of white and yellow nectarines to use and also some vanilla, cardamon and orange sugar I thought would go well too.

Mix it all gently together until combined.

Spoon into a well greased friand tin and place some extra fruit on top. I know it would have been more elegant to have lovely little slices of fruit on top, but I forgot and diced it all up by accident.

Bake at 180-200* for 25 minutes.

Make sure to turn the friands out of the tin while they are still very warm or they might stick.
This mix will make 2 dozen friands. I always think it's a shame to make a mess in the kitchen if it's not worth while. One dozen friands will disappear so quickly that you will be grateful for the extra dozen, really.

And who knows... maybe if you make enough they just might give cupcakes a run for their money.


So dear Readers, what's your favourite cafe cake?