Friands Recipe
This strawberry lemon friands recipe yields delicate little almond cakes that are super easy to make and even easier to eat! And if you’re someone who’s gluten sensitive, then you can easily turn these into gluten free friands by using only almond meal in the recipe.
What are friands?
Madeleines, financiers, and friands all seem similar, and truthfully, they are.
In all fairness, a madeleine really does deserve a separate name from financiers and friands because it’s got a spongier consistency. But financiers and friands are pretty much interchangeable.
Are friands and financiers the same?
They’re made with the same kind of batter with the exception that financiers sometimes use browned butter and tend to only contain nuts. The difference in name, however, comes from the fact that financiers are French while friands are technically a product of Australia and New Zealand.
For example, I’ve seen recipes for pistachio friands and giggled to myself knowing that they’re essentially financiers.
A major difference between the two, however, is that friands also contain fruit. Raspberry friands and bluberry friands are some of the most popular ones. Lemon friands are also a staple, which works really well for me as I’m a big fan of lemon anything.
This lemon strawberry friands recipe was the result of both my love for lemon and the fact that I had leftover strawberries sitting in my fridge. Strawberries (fraises) are ripe and available everywhere in the marché this time of year, but I always somehow end up with 6 or 7 strawberries that have gone a little too ripe by the end of the week.
This isn’t unusual for me, and I’m thinking it may not too unusual for the French since they tend to make plenty use of fruits in their desserts (can anyone say apple tarte tatin?)
Can you use almond flour to make friands?
Not only can you use almond flour to make friands (they’re often flavored with almond extract too to produce almond friands), but you should! The friands recipe I’m sharing with you here today is made with part almond meal and part all-purpose flour.
If you wanted to make these friands gluten free, you could easily swap out the all-purpose flour and use almond meal entirely.
Can you make friands in a muffin tray?
You most certainly can! You definitely don’t have to use a special friands tin (if there even is such a thing?). A classic muffin pan or mini muffin pan will work perfectly well.
For my variation, I used individual brioche tins because I thought the fluted edges would give the cakes a beautiful shape. And they did!
Can you make friands with whole eggs?
Friands are traditionally made with egg whites, as the egg whites really give the cakes a lighter and airier texture. You won’t destroy the cakes by using whole eggs, but do note that the texture will vary slightly.
What is the difference between friands and muffins?
Because these delicate cakes are made with a mix of flour and almond meal, they end up being more cake-y than American muffins.
The almond meal really lightens up the batter, in addition to the use of egg whites. The cakes are incredibly moist from the high butter content, making each bite of these cakes absolutely blissful.
Notes to keep in mind:
- Be sure to let your melted butter cool before incorporating it into the rest of your ingredients.
- For extra lemon flavor, feel free to add a quarter teaspoon of lemon extract.
- For extra almond flavor, feel free to add a quarter teaspoon of almond extract.
- Feel free to swap out the all-purpose flour and use only almond meal.
- You can also use almond flour instead of almond meal.
Friands Recipe
Delicate, buttery cakes embedded with strawberry slices and flavored with lemon.
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup almond meal
- 3 large egg white
- zest of 1 lemon
- 5 strawberries, stems removed and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Melt the butter and set aside until cool. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, powdered sugar, and almond meal together in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they’ve lost their yellowish tint and look nice and foamy. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour the egg whites in. Add the zest of the lemon and gently stir together to create a very thick batter.
- Add the melted and cooled butter to the batter and stir until the butter is thoroughly mixed in. Divide the batter among 6 well-greased tins (either muffin tins or brioche tins). Place a few strawberry slices on top of each.
- Bake the cakes for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean (or with just a couple of crumbs). Let the cakes slightly cool in their tins before popping them out. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve as is, or with a side of ice cream/whipped cream.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 313
Beautiful beeta! I love that you baked these friands in little brioche molds too. I often make friands (I prefer them over financiers) but never have tried a strawberry and lemon flavoured one before… definitely inspired to make these now Xx
Thanks so much, Thalia!! I hardly ever make financiers too. And the brioche molds ended up making these look much prettier than a normal muffin tin, so I think I’ll be making them in the molds from now on! 🙂 XO
A trip to Ikea is always so much fun! Good luck with your move 🙂 These friands are simply gorgeous, Beeta! I love the strawberry-lemon combo!
Thank you so much, Kelly! The citrus really brings out the sweetness of the strawberries and lends a nice little zing to them! 🙂 XO
Loooove going to IKEA 😀 and stashing up on Daim bars on the way out!
I like how you explained the difference between the three cakes, I never knew that! We have had so many strawberries lately that I’m actually sick of them (who knew that was even possible… I even had to throw some uneaten ones out the other day!). But I still think these look gorgeous! And good luck with the move! xx
Omg…I love doing that too! Sometimes I’ll get the cinnamon buns for dessert too! And it’s totally normal to be sick of strawberries. I went through that last spring, but since I hadn’t eaten them for awhile, these friands were a welcome method of delivery :p Thanks so much for your sweet words <3
First of all, You are moving?! OMG… I feel for you! AND I am excited for you at the same time! New chapters and homes in life are always so fun! Anywho, I have heard of (and had) Madeleines and Financiers, but I have never had Friands! Where have these little fruit topped beauties been my whole life?! I am LOVING how cute and pretty they are! Plus a more cake like muffin? WITH fruit?? So SOLD! These are gorgeous, Beeta… then again everything you make is gorgeous! I feel like I am always telling you that! I could actually eat these for breakfast, because fruit, right? I say yes. 🙂 Cheers to a fabulous weekend and good luck with the rest of your packing and move!! XOXO <3
Aww thanks so much, Cheyanne! Way to make a girl feel fabulous!! <3 Thanks so much for your words of encouragement. It definitely helps to have someone know how you feel with this moving business. I’ve been getting through it by taking breaks and following all my favorite bloggers like you <3 I could totally go for some of that shrimp you made right about now 😉
Friands and Financiers are great! I always make them to use up egg whites. I also love making beurre noisette for them as the smell that fills the house is just amazing!
These look beautiful Beeta and so light and fluffy, a perfect Friand. I really hope that the house move goes well – I don’t envy you! Good Luck!
Thank you so much, Angela! Mmm I can just imagine my house filling up with the smell of beurre noisette right now!! :p
You had me at "high butter content". lol! Love these easy and cute little strawberry cakes. Congrats on your new place!! And heck yeah to IKEA! That place is crazy ,awesome. Every time I go, I’ll look at something and think, "that’s gotta be around $200", and it turns out to be only $35!!! Anyways, these friands look delicious and can’t wait to make next time I have strawberries in the refrig 🙂
These are absolutely beautiful! I was shocked too when I moved recently. How did I get so much stuff?! Packing up the kitchen is the hardest part! Hope you enjoy your new place!
Once again, I find another of your exquisite creations nearly too beautiful to eat. The key word here of course being "nearly." Notwithstanding the gorgeous looks of these I would not only consume these but I would worry about not being able to stop. Call them what you will; these Frands look to be out of this world; very nicely done!!