Directions

Friand Cakelets (modified from Sweet, Yotto Ottolenghi)

1Preheat the oven to 350F and line the bottom of each mini loaf section with parchment (cut to size).

2Spray the mini loaf pan with nonstick on all sides.

3To brown the butter, place in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat until melted. Continue to cook until the butter is foaming, gently swirling the pan from time to time, to allow the solids to brown more evenly. You will see dark-brown sediments begin to form on the sides and bottom of the pan. Continue to allow the butter to bubble away until it turns a rich golden brown and smells of toasted nuts and caramel. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes, to allow the burnt solids to collect at the bottom of the pan. Strain through a fine-mesh (or muslin-lined) sieve, discarding the solids. Allow the browned butter to cool slightly before using. It should still be warm when folding into the mix later: if it is too hot it will start to cook the egg whites; if it is too cool it will be difficult to incorporate into the mix.

4While the butter is cooling, sift the flour, icing sugar, almond flour, and salt into a bowl. Put the egg whites in a small bowl and use a whisk or fork to froth them up for a few seconds – you do not need to whisk them completely. Pour the egg whites into the sifted dry ingredients and stir until they are incorporated. Add the browned butter and mix until the batter is smooth.

5Fill the mini-molds just over two-thirds of the way up the sides. Place three halved blackberries on top, cut side down, and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 300F – starting with a high oven temperature and then bringing it down which is the way to achieve the lovely brown crust you want – turn the tray around in the oven for even cooking, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until the edges of the friands are golden brown and the centers have a slight peak and spring back when gently prodded. Set aside to cool before removing them from their molds; you might need to use a small knife to help you release the sides of the mini cakes.

6If you are icing the cakes, put 60g of blackberries in a small bowl with the water and lemon juice. Use a fork to mash them together, then pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to extract as much fruit juice as possible: you should get about 60ml. Sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl, pour in the blackberry juice and combine to make a light-purple runny icing: it should just be thick enough to form a thin glaze on the tops of the cakes.

7Spoon the icing over the cakes, spreading it to the edges so that it runs down the sides. Do this on a rack, if you can, as icing them on a plate or sheet of paper means that the icing will pool at the bottom. Sprinkle confetti on each friand, set aside for 20 or 30 minutes to set, then serve. They are best served that day.

8Makes 12 mini-loafs or cakelets.