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Raspberry Coconut Friands/Financiers

Raspberry-Coconut Friands recipe | TeenieCakes.com

Friands.

Have you ever heard of or tasted the smallish almond cakes called friands? From what I’ve read (and as evidenced that they’re not common in bakeries in the U.S. and try to find a friand pan!), they are quite popular in Australia and New Zealand.

At first sight, you may mistaken a friand for an oval or rectangular shaped muffin. They’re sometimes almost visually indistinguishable from a cupcake or muffin if baked in a traditional muffin-shaped pan. However, once you’ve experienced a friand…

Raspberry-Coconut Friands recipe - What You Will Need | TeenieCakes.com

One of the many things I really enjoy about reading and discovering new sites and blogs of interest, is the vast amount information there is out there and the self-educating process. With regards to food sites/blogs, I’m always learning about new methods, cultural foods, customs, ingredients, and regional favorites. Of late, I’ve been especially fond of Australian cookbooks and food publications. The previous sentence is not to insinuate I wasn’t fond of Australian cookbooks or food publications before, but rather that I hadn’t “discovered” them yet.

About a month ago I received my first Australian-based publication that was written in 2001. It was one of those small pamphlet-type cookbooks we used to see at the supermarket checkout aisles. Enjoying every page I turned and giddy with inspiration, I had about freaked out when I realized the temperature settings for each recipe read something like “moderately slow”, “moderately hot”, “very hot”, etc. WHAT THE…!? After getting over the initial shock at these oven temperature values, I quickly skimmed through the book looking for some type of conversion or key to translate that into a Fahrenheit scale I could relate to.

Reason for that story: A further inspiration of friands (pronounced [free ya(n)] ).

Raspberry-Coconut Friands recipe | TeenieCakes.com

What Is A Friand?

Friands are small almond cakes typically made with almond meal, egg whites, and confectioner’s sugar (like French macarons). They usually include some type of fruit and maybe another complimentary ingredient (like chocolate, coconut, etc.). Other type of nut meals can be used, like pistachios and hazelnuts.

They are baked in oval/rectangular-shaped molds or pans, but cupcake/muffin pans are used too. What sets them apart from being a muffin is the tender, airy texture the nut meal and egg whites lend. They’re as effortless to make as their look-alike cousin, the muffin, but nothing in comparison with regards to its tender cake texture.

Raspberry-Coconut Friands recipe | TeenieCakes.com

I’ll share more about friands in future posts. I have some variations and flavor combination brewing.

Summer raspberries and a toss of coconut were used in my TC’s first post on friands. I was really happy how they turned out – so much so that I think I’m hooked. Now, I will work on Hubbs that he refers to these tender cakelets as friands and not muffins. 😉

In the meantime, I hope you’ll give these friands a try. You’ll have an extra 5 egg yolks to find something to do with (custards or homemade ice cream, anyone?).

Teenie Notes
  • No need to buy special pans, use your regular-sized muffin tins. If making mini, start by baking for 15 minutes and gauge time from there.
  • If you must, must have an oval-shaped pan, silicone molds are readily available in the U.S.
  • No need to whip the egg whites in a mixer before using. Just slightly whisk before adding to mixture (optional).
  • Watch and gauge the baking time.


Tender, airy cakes made with almond meal and egg whites. These tasty small cakes are adorned with raspberries and a toss of coconut. A true coffee or tea cakelet.

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Raspberry-Coconut Friands recipe

Makes 8

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 ounces)

1 cup almond meal/flour
1 2/3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup shredded coconut

5 egg whites

fresh or frozen raspberries (about 2-4 raspberries per friand)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8 regular sized muffin wells with baking papers, or spray with nonstick spray (Note: If using silicone molds, you can omit this step).

Melt butter in microwave, set aside.

Place egg whites in a bowl and slightly whisk, set aside.

Combine almond meal/flour, confectioner’s sugar, flour, baking powder and coconut in a bowl. Add egg whites and stir until combined. Add the slightly cooled butter and stir until thoroughly combined.

Fill muffin cups/wells to about 2/3 full. Push 2-4 fresh or frozen raspberries into each cup/well.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden and springy and a toothpick test comes out clean. The center should still be moist but not wet.

Remove from silicone mold when cooled; if using a muffin pan or tins, remove promptly from pan and allow to cool before serving.

August 16, 2013

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Caroline says

    I live in Australia and regularly make friands – they’re delicious and easy to make! They’re very dense but still moist and flavourful. While I do have proper fiand tins, I usually use mini muffin tins, make up a big batch and send them in to my husbands work – everyone loves them. I will try this recipe, thanks 🙂

    • Cristina says

      Hi Caroline and thanks for visiting all the way from Australia! Friands are more popular in Australia, I understand. It’s a challenge to find friand pans or the oval shaped pans in the U.S. without having to resort to silicone pans instead. Mmmm…I need to make more friands. just love ’em! 😉

  3. Katrina says

    Just made a batch of these, and OMG am I proud, they look fantastic. Being from Australia I have had friends on various occasions and love them so hopefully when these cool down I love them just as much. Great Recipe and so easy.

  5. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    Without food blogs out there I wouldn’t have known this dish, but I learned about friands not so long ago. These little treats look so cute (and I can definitely eat more than one). Great use of raspberry and coconut together. I’d love to have some. Pictures are gorgeous, Cristina!

  6. Melissa says

    These are so pretty Cristina. I’ve never heard of friands before but I’m very intrigued. I have so much fruit to deal with.. I might try some of it in a friand recipe!

    • Cristina says

      Hi Michelle:

      I haven’t tried using coconut flour yet, so I couldn’t honestly advise on it either way.

      I am testing and working on a gluten free version… is that something that you’re looking for and would be interested in? My Mom has recently become gluten-sensitive and I’ve been keeping this in mind with many of the things I’ve been baking on how to make a version that she could enjoy too.

      Let me know if that’s something you’re interested in also and I’ll be sure to email you when I get it posted (should be in the next week or so).

      -Cristina

      • Cristina says

        Michelle: Wanted to also mention….that the GF version I’m working on is to NOT use gluten-free all-purpose flour. From what I’ve been reading and researching, not all GF AP flours are the same, so depending on the brand you’re using – the outcome could vary on baked goods. Hence, why I’m looking into something that would be more stable and brand/manufacturer independent. Please stay tuned…. 🙂

        • Michelle B. says

          Hi Cristina, I’d love to be updated if you figure out a good gluten free alternative. My whole family has changed our diets this year to eat more whole foods and reduce our white flour intake. I love your site and have tried many of your recipes and this looks like another great one to try 🙂

  9. wok with ray says

    These friands look very delicate and delicious. My daughter is into baking and I would definitely forward your recipe to her. Oh she would love these friands. Thank you for another beautiful post, Cristina! 🙂

    • Cristina says

      Thx Ray! I think your daughter will enjoy making these. They’re so good and quick to make…they have they’re own sophistication without a lot of laboring. 😉

  10. Jazzy says

    Wow! Definitely will be making these Friands. I’m sure different varieties of fruits could be used. Thank you.

    • Cristina says

      Yes, most definitely that’s what they’re all about – using different fruits/berries with complimentary add-ins. Thx Jazz. 😀

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