Rose Friands

These lovely moist little cakes, similar to the French financier, are very popular and perfect for morning or afternoon tea. In French friand can also refer to qui est gourmand (a person with refined taste in food – an epicurean).    If you don’t have rose-shaped tins, bake them in muffin tins.

Inroduction

About this Recipe

By: Sheridan Rogers

These lovely moist little cakes, similar to the French financier, are very popular and perfect for morning or afternoon tea. In French friand can also refer to qui est gourmand (a person with refined taste in food – an epicurean).    If you don’t have rose-shaped tins, bake them in muffin tins.

Ingredients

  • unsalted butter 160g
  • ground blanched almonds 110g (1 cup)
  • pure icing sugar 200g (1 1/2 cups)
  • plain flour 65g (1/3cup plus 1 tablespoon)
  • egg whites 5, at room temperature
Rose Cake Syrup
  • fresh lime or lemon juice 1/4 cup, freshly squeezed and strained
  • caster sugar 4 tablespoons
  • rosewater 1 teaspoon

Preheat oven to 200degC (180C fan-forced).  Spray 12 x 1/2 cup  muffin tins (or rose-shaped tins) with cooking oil spray. Melt the butter in a saucepan and simmer gently until it deepens in colour.  Remove from heat and leave to cool for five minutes. Meanwhile sift the icing sugar and flour into a large bowl.  Add the ground almonds and mix well. Stir in the egg whites (don’t beat them) and mix to make a soft batter. Pour the melted butter through a fine sieve into the batter and mix thoroughly.  Spoon the mixture into the tins to about ¾ full. Bake for five minutes.  Lower the temperature to 180degC and bake for a further 20 – 25 minutes, covering the cakes if they are browning.  Turn the oven off and leave the friends in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool 10 – 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cake rack. Brush cakes with Rose Syrup while still warm.Rose Syrup: combine lime or lemon juice and sugar in a small pan over low heat.  Bring to simmering point, stirring with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add the rosewater.  Stir to combine. Brush syrup over cakes.  Scatter with pesticide-free rose petals. urn the oven off and leave the friands inside for five minutes. Cool slightly in the tin and then turn onto a rack.  Dust with icing sugar before serving