RASPBERRY, PISTACHIO AND ROSE FRIANDS

Friands are small, oval-shaped cakes originating in France that are made using ground nuts and egg whites.

MAKES 8

✣ 125g (4oz) butter, plus extra for greasing

✣ 125g (4oz) pistachios

✣ 150g (5oz) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

✣ 45g (1½oz) cornflour

✣ 3 egg whites

✣ ½tsp rosewater

✣ 100g (3½oz) frozen raspberries

✣ Dried rose petals, to serve

You will need:

✣ 8 friand moulds, or use mini loafs tins or muffin tins, greased

1 Heat the oven to 180C/ Gas 4. Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Roughly chop 30g (1oz) of pistachios and set aside. Put the remaining nuts in a food processor and blitz until they are finely ground. Add the icing sugar and cornflour. Blitz to combine, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.

2 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they become a soft foam consistency. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg whites along with the melted butter and rosewater. Gently mix to give you a soft batter.

3 Divide the mixture between the moulds. Sit a few frozen raspberries on top of each one and scatter over the reserved chopped pistachios. Bake for 25-30 mins until they are lightly golden and firm.

4 Leave to cool in the moulds for a few mins before carefully turning out onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

5 Serve scattered with dried rose petals and dusted with icing sugar.