All About Little Friand Cakes

The Audrey Hepburn of the Cake World

Small, Delicate, Floatingly Light  & Lovely to Behold

Blueberry Friands

To the observant among you, you may have noticed I go on ALOT about friands. You may  think as one twitterer did that  I just have a problem repeatedly mispelling the word friends (until I suggested popping them in the oven that is!). I now call them Little Friand Cakes on twitter to avoid confusion.  I have been making these little cakes for about four years now and have increasingly grown to love them. There are many many variations and I am in the process of compiling a list of recipes which breaks them down into different categories. There are lots of recipes available if you troll the internet but once you get the basic idea, you will probably start to come up with your own versions whether it be adapting another cake recipe you love or just deciding to try different combinations of fillings.  Increasingly, I am  producing them on a grander scale  to sell them at farmers markets as I am convinced, if your not already a convert, you will love them too.  Their small size and egg white and almond base makes them light calorie wise so guilt free. The low or no flour (gluten free)  content and almond (or other nut) base makes them perfect for gluten free recipes

They are great to eat on their own with a cup of coffee. Or you can eat them  as a dessert in themselves. They can be served with fresh fruit and ice cream or with a raspberry sauce for example. This dessert has the potential to be  as good as any you will see in a top restaurant with great possibilities for wonderful presentation by a creative cook.

I did say I love them and I am not alone. I have read many food writers, bloggers who share this passion for friands especially in recent months and I am convinced they are going to take off in the UK very soon, hopefully with my small contribution and also the increasingly number of foodies blogging and reporting on them. It is clear that if they are such a hit in Australia and New Zealand, that it is only a matter of time. You do see them in the odd cafe etc but if you ask most people what a friand is , they look at you blankly.  Everyone deserves to enjoy friands. This leads me on to the telling you a bit more about them.

Potted History of Friands

Financiers

Friands, it is generally accepted,  started this life as financiers in France little round tea cakes similar to sponge. I read one blog where a contributer felt that perhaps the Friand had more in common with a Friand aux Amandes, another French cake and you can clearly see why they might think that. But I digress. Financiers  are made with  brown butter (beurre noisette) , egg whites, ground almonds, icing sugar  and flour . They are closely aligned with the more common madeleines. They were said to have emerged in the financial district of Paris and were traditionally baked in rectangular moulds to resemble gold bars and round coin like ones as well. While these cakes do not have any fillings, they are often  served with fruit and ice cream or other sauces  as I do now.

Lime & Coconut (delicious)

The friand cake  emerged in  New Zealand and Australia and is typically (lots of exceptions with friands) oval in shape. The basic ingredients of a friand are the same as a financier. The main difference seems to be in the melted butter which in a friand typically  (see what I mean) isn't brown.   The second big difference is that friands have fillings of an almost infinite variety and open up this cake to experimentation and versatility. It would seemed a whole world of possibilities opened up for friands in the same way cupcakes and muffins have.  It is as a friand that this cake really comes into its' own. Saying that a plain friand dusted with icing sugar definitely has its place alongside a lovely cappucino as a morning snack.

ok this does have Blueberries but you get the idea

 

What Does a Friand Taste Like?

Glazed Apple & Vanilla , my latest style

Mixed Friands

 As a financier, a friand is described as a tea cake and seems to be similar to a madeleine. One of the defining features of a friand is its lightness and texture. The crunchy edges and the soft centre and the melt in the mouth sensation if it has a filling. Some people like the contrast of the sweet filling with the bitterness in some fruit such as raspberries. Here are some quotes from various blogs.

" The more sophisticated friend of a cupcake." Lex Eat

" The nuts and egg whites make them slightly superior to a muffin ( whilst a muffin looks up to a friand but down to a fairy cake - the fairy cake says ‘I know my place’), but the extent of their variations with different nuts and added fruits means they are just as versatile."Laundrey etc

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"About four bites of the moist heavanly little cakes in the world." Marie from the English Kitchen

Shaped like a Little Friand!

The friand is perceived  as a class act superior in style to its counterparts.The friand is to the cake world what Audrey Hepburn is to the screen;  small, delicate, floatingly light and lovely to behold. I made some with fresh coconut and a marcapone cream filling for  a christmas party this year for Caliberi Interactive. They were piled high and resembled a wedding cake,no knives required!  This  impressed the guests eyes and palates, the chilled fresh coconut and cream filling makes each mouthful a taste of pure heaven.

Fresh Coconut with Marscapone Cream Filling

Some people come to making friands because they gave some left over egg whites to use. However, once you have made them once, it is likely you won't wait for left over egg whites until you make them the next time.  If you set out to make friands then the left over egg yolks are perfect for making ice cream. A friand with a dollop of ice cream with a scattering of fresh raspberries is truly a marriage made in heaven for me and a regular feature in my home and on my menus.

A Word on Friand Tins

This is what I use but I had to order from France and at some cost as the oval shape holes are not readily available here yet. This is silicone which solves every noted issue as lots of people complain about getting them out of the tins.  I started with individual tins which were fairly tricky and time consuming in the "losing the will to live" way. So whatever shape you make them, my advice  is use silicone as the friands just pop out.

Are You Converted?

Let's hope so. In the meantime, here is an few of the friand options out there. If you are already a convert and have interesting recipes to share I would love to see them. You can email me at honeywildandmannadew@gmail.com. I hope to meet you at a farmers market in the Borders or in Edinburgh very soon. If you are interested in attending a cake event dedicated to friands, let me know. Perhaps one of these fab cake groups would consider hosting one.

• Fig & Pistachio       
• Blueberry & Lemon        
• Chocolate Hazelnut     
• Orange & Poppy Seed
• Coconut & Mango       
• Lemon Curd          
• Christmas Spiced       
• Banana & Cinnamon
• Raspberry & Galangel      
• Candied Lemon      
• Pecan & Maple    
• Rhubarb with Flaked Almonds
• Sticky Gingerbread        
• Orange Drizzle          
• Pineapple & Macademia       
• Caramel Easter

Anniversary Night

On Friday,  I hosted the 1st  anniversary supper. It was a lovely night with some amazing food and lots of help from family,  friends  and fellow supper club hostess, Wendy Paterson of InsideoutChef. One guest fed back that the food was the best so far and I am inclined to agree. We started the evening off with an apperitif of Sloe Gin and Cava served in champagne coupes. I then broke with the classic menu style and served seven amuse bouche/canapes in place of a starter. The guests remained standing for these and mingled with the other guests. We started with a vibrant orange Soupe de Poissons topped with a  Rouille and Croutons and a nicely contrasting  velvety Spinach and Rosemary soup both served in little demi-tasse cups.

We then served Pan fried Scallops served with Green Apple Puree and Boudin Noir topped with a slice of green apple. The combined flavours of this verrine are divine and a freshly fried scallop needs no explanation.

My friend Guy kindly provided some  Foie Gras he had picked up on a recent trip to France  served on a toasted panini on little glass canape spoons supplied by Wendy who also found these in France . This canape, in one guests words, took the evening to new heights. I am uncomfortable with Foie Gras myself but decided to serve it anyway.

Next we served  freshly Pan Fried Pheasant (sourced locally from a friend whose husband, a gamekeeper  rears them with love and dedication , you can certainly taste that!). I  served this with my own Nectarine Relish and Red Amaranth Salad. I made little bread rolls to put all this in. Seriously cute!

To top it all we then received two vegetarian offerings from Wendy. She served Pesto Palmiers and Tomato Lollipops which were fabulous to look at and eat. TheTomato lollipops were visually great and  injected some fun into the proceedings and were a perfect rounding up of the canapes.

The guests especially enjoyed the canape selection as I knew they would.  They are my favourite things to make. One  guest said it was great to get to taste so many different offerings.

For the palate cleanser, friend Guy made a stunning Nettle sorbet. Guy of Thorncroft Drinks fame is responsible for creating a wide range of drinks. He is now embarking on a new venture producing and selling a range of iced tea called Yum Cha. When I sat down with the guests, they complimented the sorbet and they weren't surprised when I confessed to having an expert produce it. It is also nice when someone goes for a walk and comes back with an ingredient for dinner!

By this time everyone was seated and chatting away. I had loads of help this time but it was still hectic. Serving over 22 people at once is no mean feat especially as I offer more than one option! The two main courses were Slow Roasted Lamb with Lemon Potatoes and Open Lasagna with Roasted Butternut Squash,Wild Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce topped with Sage leaves. One of my ovens, I discovered was not working properly so I was worried about the lamb being cooked enough. Fortunately, the canapes and sorbet slowed the evening down and it came out perfectly in the end.  My sister, Kim has lived in Zante for over 25 years and runs restaurants and a hotel with her Greek family. I have always loved the way they cook their potatoes in the oven and manage to infuse the lemon flavour. This is what I was aiming for here and I think I got pretty close. I served it with a version of  ratatouille where the vegetables are chopped into very small cubes to ensure the combination of flavour. It was a truly delicious compliment to the lamb and potatoes. Finally , I put jugs of mint and redcurrant jelly sauce on the table. The lasagna dish was also perfect taste wise  with the most incredible mushrooms bought in Morrisons of all places (can't resist showing you them) cooked in a Marsala and Cream sauce.

The butternut squash is roasted with chilli flakes in the oven and adds a nice sweet zing. It is a yummy dish with fresh saffron lasagna. However, while I have nailed the presentation in the past , I didn't really get it right this time and was disappointed in the plates going out. I will revisit this. Alas no photographs of the mains. We were all so busy!

Always a pleasure, desserts are another of my favourite things to do. I presented Chocolate and Raspberry Tart with Mint Ice  Cream which I have to say I think I did a very good job of. The fresh raspberries  buried under the chocolate is beyond good, not to mention the mint ice cream.

I also did Creme Caramel which worked well.

Wendy did Pavlova which was a complete show stopper. I am told itwas perfectly cooked with a crunch on the outside and chewy in the middle. I can't eat cream so Pavlova is not on my personal repertoire but it was the most popular choice for the dessert.

And , once again, regular waitress Jade produced exquisite cheese plates using Borders Cheeses this time

 To finish we served truffles and coffee and a bit more of that sloe gin slipped out of the kitchen though free of charge of course! Half the guests were still here at 1.30 a.m., several hours after the food was served, chatting and mingling. Without a doubt it was a really good night with now regular guests (some have been up to four times!) and new people too who all said they are keen to return.  I think it would be fair to say no-one leaves my suppers hungry! They were disappointed when I told them the suppers at my home will run quarterly from now on (less is more). The next  supper will take place at the end of June so if you are interested , you will have to be quick to book. I plan to do more canapes to start and an amuse bouche selection for dessert which will include a series of little mouthfuls of heaven. So you won't have to choose!

A big thanks again to everyone who helped me this year and on Friday and to Wendy and Guy for their lovely food contributions. Karen