Cottenham Park Allotments

Raspberry friands

Moist, almondy little cakes

 

Contributed by Sue Smedley

 

Ingredients

Makes 8 to 12 cakes

 

180 g butter

50 g plain flour

180 g icing sugar

100g ground almonds

1 tsp lemon zest

5 egg whites

12 raspberries (or, alternatively, blackberries)

 

Method

Oven: 200 C or gas mark 6

 

1. Butter a shallow 12-bun baking tray.

2. Melt the butter gently in a saucepan and watch it carefully until it becomes a dark, nutty gold. Don’t let it burn.

3. Leave the melted butter to cool.

4. Sieve the flour and sugar into a large mixing bowl.

5. Add the almonds and lemon zest to the mix.

6. Beat the egg whites to a soft foam. They shouldn’t be able to stand up.

7. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then pour in the egg whites and the melted butter.

8. Mix lightly but thoroughly, then pour into the buttered bun baking tray.

9. Drop a raspberry (or chopped blackberry, if they’re big) into the top.

10. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

11. Remove from the oven, then leave to settle before carefully removing them with a palette knife.

12. When cool, dust with icing sugar to serve.