Plum Friands

Before moving to New Zealand, I have never heard of friands. So, if you are not familiar: friands are incredibly delicious, super easy to make, sweet, buttery, little almond cakes (closely related to the French financier). This recipe is my take (now one of the most beloved recipes in my household). The tart, jammy flavour of the plums compliments the sweetness and buttery flavour of the friands so incredibly well.

If you cannot be bothered with left over egg yolks (I have included a recipe for vanilla custard below), use packaged, pasteurized egg whites (available at most supermarkets, look for it in the refrigerated section). For gluten-free friands, replace the plain flour with the same weight gluten-free plain flour (or rice flour) and make sure your baking powder and icing sugar are gluten-free (in New Zealand, Edmonds® baking powder and Chelsea® icing sugar is gluten-free). When in season, I like using Black Doris plums. However, tinned plums work really well too (and they are soft and so easy to use). See the how-to here: Alana Smith (@alanasmithsweetphotography) • Instagram photos and videos

Makes 9 - 12 friands

PLUM FRIAND BATTER

plums, about 160g - usually 2 large, fresh, ripe plums or 4 tinned plums (drained of juice/syrup)

egg whites, 6 or 180g pasteurized egg white

unsalted butter, 180g

ground almonds/almond flour, 150g (375ml or 1 + 1/2 cup)

icing sugar, 250g (375ml or 1 + 1/2 cup)

plain/cake/all-purpose flour (or a gluten-free flour blend), 75g (125ml or 1/2 cup)

VANILLA CUSTARD / CRÈME ANGLAISE

full fat milk, 500g (500ml or 2 cups)

vanilla, ½ pod or 15ml (1 tablespoon) vanilla bean paste

egg yolks, 6

caster sugar, 50g (60ml or 1/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and grease a 12-hole oval friand pan or a muffin tin with butter.

For the friand batter, remove the stones from the plums and roughly chop them (you can remove the skins of the plums too if you prefer - tinned plums usually have the skins removed already).

Melt the butter (in the microwave or small saucepan) then allow it to cool slightly while you separate the eggs (if you are using fresh eggs).

Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and using a hand whisk, whisk them just a little to break them up a little.

Add all the remaining friand batter ingredients (including the melted butter) and whisk until smooth.

Divide the mixture among the greased pan holes (a cookie scoop makes this job really easy to do).

I like tall friands, so I get about 9 friands from this recipe. If you prefer them dainty, you can fill 12 friand holes with batter.

Top each with a little chopped plum before baking until golden, for approximately 20 - 30 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the cake part comes out clean, depending on their size). 

Once baked, remove from the oven and turn the friands out of the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack or serving plate.

Dust with a little extra icing sugar before serving warm or cold.

To prepare the crème anglaise, place the milk, scraped out seeds and empty vanilla pod (or vanilla bean paste) in a large heat proof mixing bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water (making sure the surface of the water does not touch the bowl).

Meanwhile, place the caster sugar and egg yolks in a medium heat proof mixing bowl and whisk a little until uniform.

Slowly add the warmed milk mixture to the sugar and egg mixture stirring continuously until the large bowl is empty.

Pour the mixture back into the large bowl and place it back over the saucepan of simmering water.

Cook the custard over a gentle heat stirring continuously with a spatula until it thickens slightly and coats the back of the spatula (82°C on a thermometer).

As soon as it thickened (or reached 82°C), remove from the heat and pour the custard through a sieve into a jug or storage container.  Serve warm or refrigerate until cool.