Almond Friands with Vanilla Bean Syrup

By sarah_carroll

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (185g) icing sugar mixture
• 1 cup (150g) plain flour
• 1 cup (100g) almond meal
• 5 eggwhites
• 180 g butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Flaked almonds, to sprinkle
• Vanilla-bean syrup
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 1/3 cup (70g) caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (125ml) water

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease eight 1/2-cup (125ml) capacity friand or muffin pans and place on an oven tray.

Combine icing sugar, flour and almond meal in a medium bowl. Add eggwhites, butter and vanilla; stir until just combined. Spoon among pans. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centres comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes; turn onto a wire rack.

To make syrup, use a small, sharp knife to scrape seeds from vanilla bean and place in a medium saucepan. Add bean and sugar; stir to combine and break up seeds. Add water and place over lowheat. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook, without stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Pour hot syrup over friands. Set aside to cool.