Easter has come around again and our social media feeds are full of all kinds of creme egg infusions… the latest trend seems to be rolling a whole creme egg in pre-made croissant pastry and baking in the oven! I can’t decide if that is amazing or an abomination?
If you are looking for a chocolatey delight this Easter then our recipe in February’s BV Magazine of decadent chocolate brownies also includes a cheeky twist to bake creme eggs into the top. We also had a delicious recipe for leftover hot cross buns last Easter, turning them into a bread and butter pudding, should you happen to panic buy hot cross buns this Easter.
This month’s recipe is a lighter and zestier alternative to all that chocolate. These Lemon Friands are essentially the French version of a cupcake. Made with egg whites and icing sugar, they are deliciously light and the addition of some fresh raspberries and blueberries really work alongside the ground almonds. They are a lovely bake to make to serve with coffee, or as a light little dessert after your full Easter Sunday Roast with loved ones. Perhaps with some clotted cream … Heather x
Ingredients
• 200g butter (melted)
• 250g icing sugar
• 50g plain flour
• 190g ground almonds
• 6 egg whites
• zest of 2 lemons
• fresh raspberries or blueberries.
Directions
• Pre-heat the oven to gas 5/fan 180º. If you have a friand tin, then by all means use that, but I simply use a standard muffin tin. Grease the base and edges of each cup (mould?) of your muffin tin. Then cut strips of greaseproof paper long enough to go down one side, across the bottom and up the other side of each cup and pop them inside each one. This helps to release the friands from their tins once cooked – they can be super-tricky to get out otherwise.
• Mix together in a large bowl the icing sugar, plain flour and ground almonds. Then grate in your lemon zest and stir to combine.
• Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
• Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and mix, then add the egg whites and gently fold to combine.
• Divide the batter mixture into the muffin tins, and sprinkle a couple of blueberries or raspberries into the top of each cake.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is firm to the touch and golden brown.
• Leave to cool.
• Once cool, remove from the tins and sprinkle with a little extra icing sugar.
By Heather Brown
Heather Brown is on the committee of the Guild of Food Writers; a home economist with a passion for Dorset’s brilliant foodie scene. Heather runs Dorset Foodie Feed, championing Dorset’s food and drink
businesses, as well as working with her food industry clients.
