Just another quick one today guys, but hey… three blog posts in just over a week?! It’s been a long time since that happened around here 🙂 I give the apple slices a little loving in the pan with a dab of butter to soften them first, which results in a beautiful tender cake through and through. The cinnamon brings warmth and natural sweetness to the friand batter, while brown butter adds nuttiness that will have you wondering if hazelnuts are hiding within. Enjoy x
Apple, cinnamon + brown butter friands
Friands are a relative of the small French cake known as Financiers. Rich and buttery, they’ve been a regular fixture in cafes throughout New Zealand since the late 90’s. You can absolutely just add slices of raw apple to the tops of the friands before baking if you’re in a hurry, but giving them just a little time and love in the pan first will reward you with soft apple slices when you bite into the cakes. You’ll find fine brown rice flour at selected health food and specialty food stores. White rice flour can be used in it’s place if preferred. I use Billington’s golden unrefined icing sugar, available from selected supermarkets and specialty food stores.
Makes 12
185g Butter, diced
1-2 tablespoons butter, extra
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
6 large free-range egg whites
110g (1 cup) ground almonds (almond meal)
70g (1/2 cup) fine brown rice flour
95g (3/4 cup) unrefined icing sugar + extra to dust
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Grease a 12-hole friand tin generously with butter.
Place diced butter into a small saucepan and melt over medium-high heat. Continue to cook 4-5 minutes or until toasty smelling, you’ll notice the milk solids in the bottom of the plan will be starting to brown. Remove from the heat and set aside 5-10 minutes to cool. Heat extra butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat and cook apple slices, stirring often 5-8 minutes or until just starting to soften. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Whisk egg white in a bowl until just starting to froth.
Place ground almonds into a bowl, then sift over brown rice flour, icing sugar and cinnamon, Whisk to combine, then stir through egg whites and cooled browned butter, to form a runny batter.
Divide mixture evenly between friand tins, top each with a few slices of apple and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside 10 minutes before gently removing from the tins (with the aid of a butter knife inserted down the side of each cake). Serve dusted with icing sugar, if you like. Best eaten on day of baking, however they will store airtight for up to 3 days.
13 Responses
Apple + cinnamon! Yummy! I can imagine a lovely smell and taste.
These are just so cute! I can see them going as a perfect bite on a fall day. Just gotta hold off to September, when all those fresh apples are rolling in 🙂
These look gorrrrrrrgeous! The combination of the fruits sound fantastic!
Oh these are such a perfect size for tea time. Recipe looks so delish!
Wow, I have got to make this sometime. It looks so wonderful.
I love cakes with fruits like this one. A perfect combination! The amazing photos make me want to eat it immediately. So yummy and delicious!
It looks so good. I want to make it for the next tea times with my friend.
Perfect! It will be wonderful to have a chance directly try it.
This looks gorgeous, I love it. I am thinking can I bake this in muffin tin. I am also thinking to cut the apple into small cubes and remove the skin. 🙂
Yummmmmmmmm. They look so delicate and fancy! X
Now that it is getting colder, baking cakes sounds very heart warming. Your gluten-free apple, cinnamon and brown butter friands looks rustic and aromatic in the pictures, and I am sure it tastes good too. Being single and working for an events promotion company in London, where we have lots of food related events, I end up eating out a lot. But tonight, it is baking time! Cannot wait to get fingers into my apple cinnamon and brown butter friands!
sounds yummy and water mouthing 🙂
It looks so good.