Orange and Poppy Seed Friands
These irresistible Orange and Poppy Seed Friands are buttery, moist with loads of texture. Enjoy it with sticky orange syrup and fresh cream
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup poppy seeds
- 2 tbsp milk (at room temperature) (NOTE 1)
- 150 gm unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 2 medium oranges (1/4 cup juice and zest from both oranges) (NOTE 2)
- 1 cup caster sugar (NOTE 3)
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature) (NOTE 4)
- 1 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour sifted) (NOTE 5)
- 1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
- 1½ tsp baking powder (sifted)
- ¼ tsp salt (sifted)
FOR THE SYRUP (OPTIONAL) :
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 medium orange (juice and zest) (NOTE 6)
Instructions
- In a small bowl soak the poppy seeds with the milk for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven at 180°C (356°F) or for fan-forced 160°C (320°F).
- Grease the tins base and sides with melted butter. Line the base of the friand tin by folding non-stick baking paper in several layers and cutting oval shapes, fit it to the bottom of the tin holes.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and zest together until the mixture is fluffy and pale (approximately for 5 minutes on high speed) Add in the eggs but one at a time beating well in between each egg.
- Pour in orange juice, milk and poppy seed mixture. Mix to combine using a spatular or wooden spoon. Add in the almond meal, flour, baking powder and salt, fold until the flour is no longer visible.
- Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each tin hole, once all holes are filled tap the tray on the table a few times or use a butter knife to flatten the batter. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Leave to cool in the baking tin for 10 minutes.
- Run a sharp thin knife around the top edges of the cake to help release it. Tip the cakes out of the tin onto a plate or a chopping board.
FOR THE SYRUP (OPTIONAL)
- In a small saucepan add in water, sugar, salt and vanilla extract and bring it to a boil on medium heat stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and add in orange juice and zest. Let it simmer for 5 minutes, it will thicken to a syrup consistency once the mixture cools down.
- Whilst the cake is still warm, use a skewer to poke several holes in the cake. Spoon the syrup on top of the friands, keep any remaining syrup in a small bowl to serve with cream.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Milk - I used full-fat (whole milk) but light or skimmed can be used.
(NOTE 2) Oranges - I used medium-sized 'Navel' oranges but any variety of oranges can be used. You'll only need a 1/4 cup of juice but need the zest from both oranges. The zest is the thin coloured part of the orange, it needs to be finely grated to avoid any bitterness from the underlying white parts of the peel.
(NOTE 3) Caster sugar is also known as ‘superfine sugar’ or ‘baker’s sugar’. It has a finer consistency when compared to white or granulated sugar but is coarser than icing sugar.
(NOTE 4) Eggs - I used large eggs that weighed around 58gms (2.05 oz) each
(NOTE 5) Plain flour is also known as ‘all-purpose’ flour, it has no leavening agent added.
(NOTE 6) Oranges for the syrup - You'll need the juice and zest from one medium-sized orange.
Leftovers will keep up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container or 5 days in the fridge. The friands can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information, so this is an approximate guide only for a friand with syrup.
Nutrition
Serving: 1friand with syrupCalories: 357kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 6gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 263mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 2gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 439IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 113mgIron: 1mg