These delightful orange blossom fig friands make the perfect treat with a nutty flavor, subtle orange blossom note, and sweet, jammy figs.
When we came back from our vacation in mid August, our neighbor's fig trees were laden with fruits so they let us pick some. I wanted to make a simple treat and baked up a batch of orange blossom fig friands inspired by a flavor combination from my panna cotta recipe that I had shared a while back. I love how nutty the cake tasted with subtle orange blossom note, and sweet, jammy figs. These delightful fig friands make a perfect afternoon treat paired with a cup of tea.
The Difference Between Financiers and Friands
Financiers are small soft sponge cakes made from almond flour and egg whites and baked in rectangular thin molds resembling a bar of gold originating from France. In Australia and New Zealand the same cakes are called friands and baked in oval friand molds. If you don't own either of them, use a small muffin tin.
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: you can make your own almond flour by grinding whole, slivered, or sliced almonds with the flour until fine but not powdery. Hazelnut flour is a great substitute if you don't have almond flour.
- Butter: pick a quality unsalted butter.
- Egg whites: use room temperature egg whites. They act as the raising agent for friands.
- Figs: I like to use fresh figs for this recipe. Some of my favorite varieties are tiger figs, Adriatic figs, and Black Mission figs. Stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, and apricots or berries also work well for friands.
- Orange blossom: orange blossom water is one of those special ingredients that I enjoy baking with. It’s basically water flavored with orange blossoms and traditionally used in Middle Eastern cuisine. You'll find it well stocked in Middle Eastern grocery stores and online.
How to Make Friands
- Brown the butter. The secret to great tasting friands is the beurre noisette or brown butter. Heat the butter in a saucepan on medium heat until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty flavor. Keep an eye on it to avoid burning the butter.
- Sift the icing sugar and flour into a bowl. Add the almond flour and mix everything between your fingers.
- Beat the egg whites with orange blossom water until white and frothy but not stiff peaks.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and tip in the egg whites. Lightly stir in the butter to form a soft batter.
- Grease the molds with melted butter.
- Fill the molds with ⅓ cup of batter and tap it to release any air bubbles.
- Top the batter with the fig halves.
Tips for Baking
- The biggest pitfall is not greasing the friands tins properly. If you don't have non-stick muffin tins or friand tins, make sure you butter them thoroughly or you won't be able to get them out of the tins.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 25 minutes until just firm to the touch, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Storage
- Friands are best eaten on the day they are made. They will keep for a three days in an airtight tin and will taste better slightly rewarmed in the oven before eating.
- To freeze friands, let them cool completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. Freeze them for up to two weeks. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and rewarm in the oven for 3 minutes at 325 degrees F.
For more fig dessert inspiration, check these recipes: Earl Grey fig cake, Earl Grey pavlova with figs, orange blossom panna cotta with figs.
Orange Blossom Fig Friands
These delightful orange blossom fig friands make the perfect treat with a nutty flavor, subtle orange blossom note, and sweet, jammy figs.
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Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- 8 Friand Molds
Ingredients
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg whites
- ½ tablespoon orange blossom water
- 4 large figs, halved
Instructions
- Make the brown butter. In a saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat until it turns golden brown. Strain butter through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
- Sift the icing sugar and flour into a bowl. Add the almond flour and mix everything between your fingers.
- Whisk the egg whites and orange blossom water in another bowl until they form a light, frothy foam.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and tip in the egg whites. Lightly stir in the butter to form a soft batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Generously butter eight non-stick friand or muffin tins.
- Spoon ⅓ cup of batter into the tins. Top batter with fig halves.
- Bake for 25 minutes until just firm to the touch, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
- To serve, dust lightly with icing sugar.
Notes
- Friands are best eaten on the day they are made. They will keep for a three days in an airtight tin and will taste better slightly rewarmed in the oven before eating.
- To freeze friands, let them cool completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. Freeze them for up to two weeks. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and rewarm in the oven for 3 minutes at 325 degrees F.
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John Switzer
Absolutely gorgeous. I wouldn’t change a thing not one thing. Well I change one thing and that’s the fact that I don’t have any of those in front of me right now. Argh
Vy Tran
Thank you chef! If we were neighbors I would definitely drop some off. They're one of the easiest treats I've baked. You just need a bowl and a whisk. And you don't have to make them with figs. Stone fruits or berries will do!