fall here we come!

It’s been 2 weeks without posting anything. The reason is the lack of a (good) camera. Of course, I’ve been baking, but just once a week. I kind of needed a break from the first marathon I did here.

Fall is here and I bought my first pumpkin and made a spicy soup out of it. The wind blows really fresh outside so I am looking for something warming. I never made friands before and even after doing them I don’t exactly know what they are, or where they come from. All I know, the recipe always calls for almond meal and lot’s of egg whites. I used very fine ground hazelnuts, because I didn’t have almond meal at home. But the little “cake”, “muffin” turned out really fluffy and light and not to sweet.

The recipe is adapted from here

• ½ cup + ½ tablespoon (75g) all purpose flour, sifted
• 1 ½ cups (210g) icing sugar, sifted
• 1 cup (100g) almond meal (ground almonds)
• 4 egg whites
• 180g unsalted butteror lactose free margarine, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• one big apple, peeled and sliced in pieces, plus some cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.

Butter ten 1/3 cup  capacity fluted pans (I used paper lines for muffins, next time I try without, the cakes stick to the paper too much).
Place the flour, icing sugar and almond meal in a bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the center, add the egg whites, butter and vanilla and stir well to combine. Divide batter among prepared pans. Stick 3 apple slices in the dough of each and sprinkle the top with cinnamon. Bake for 10-20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes then carefully transfer onto a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving, if desired.
Makes about 16. I used 1/3 cup (80ml) capacity muffins pans.

(I am absolutely not happy with this presentation… I will hopefully have access to a good camera soon again….)

That was a good nutty, sweet apple bite.