Strawberry Friands

These are a wonderfully light, sweet first bite of summer. The almond flour gives the friand a beautiful nuttiness but also a surprising lightness, while the strawberry at the heart of it is a burst of bright joy. If you can, try and find locally grown strawberries for this as their sweetness is even greater, or even better, pick some from your own backyard, balcony or garden.

Makes 12

100g plain flour

125g ground almonds

225g icing sugar

175g butter, melted

6 egg whites

12 small strawberries

Equipment

12-hole muffin tray, greased and dusted with flour

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Sift the flour, ground almonds and icing sugar into a bowl. Briefly mix together.

3. Gently whisk the egg whites together until they are broken and starting to combine, roughly half a minute. For any unused egg yolks, save for making your own mayonnaise, custard, or something else delicious.

4. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the whisked egg whites and melted butter. Mix until only just incorporated, do not over work the batter - it should be wet and elastic.

5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tray, roughly a heaped tablespoon and a half to each muffin container. Gently press a strawberry into the centre of each friand.

6. Bake in the oven for around twenty to twenty two minutes, or until pale brown and still springy when touched.

7. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the muffin tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. At their absolute best eaten that same day!