Macadamia Friands

Ingredients

• 140g (5oz) unsalted butter
• 160g (5.5oz) unsalted
• macadamia halves
• 200g (7oz) pure icing sugar
• 65g (2.5oz) plain flour, sifted
• 5 egg whites

Citrus Syrup

• Juice of 2 limes, strained
• 100g (3.5oz) caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (390ºF). Grease 10 friand or 80mL (2.8 fl oz) muffin pans with butter.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and simmer gently until it deepens in colour. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Grind the macadamias and icing sugar together in a blender and place in a mixing bowl. Stir through the flour. Stir in the egg whites (don't beat them) and mix to make a soft batter. Pour the melted butter through a fine sieve into the batter and mix thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into the tins to fill about three-quarters full. Bake for 5 minutes at 200ºC (390ºF), lower oven temperature to 180ºC (350ºF) and bake for a further 20-25 minutes, covering the cakes if they get too brown.
4. Turn the oven off and leave the friands inside for 5 minutes. Cool slightly in the tin and then turn onto a rack. Brush each friand with warm syrup making sure you brush into the crevices. When cool, store in an airtight tin.
5. Syrup - combine the lime juice and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil, stirring until dissolved. Oranges or lemons can be substituted for the limes.

Makes 10 friands.