Raspberry & Almond Friands

Friands are little almond cakes, soft and moist, with a golden crust. They're naturally gluten-free and incredibly easy to make. Studded with raspberries, they're perfect with a cup of tea. They also freeze well, so you can make a batch and have a treat ready when you need it.

Ingredients (Makes 8):

• 100g butter, melted
• 3 egg whites
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g icing sugar (or blitz granulated sugar in a blender until fine)
• 50g gluten-free flour (or plain flour)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g fresh or frozen raspberries

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease a friand tin or muffin tin.
• Whisk the egg whites lightly—just until frothy, not stiff.
• Fold in the ground almonds, icing sugar, flour, melted butter, and vanilla until combined.
• Gently fold in the raspberries.
• Spoon into the tin. Bake for 15–18 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Why it's gut-friendly: Almonds are rich in fibre and vitamin E. Raspberries are packed with polyphenols. These are lower in sugar than traditional cakes.