Fruited friands difficulty ** #38

Makes 12

Preparing time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 175 g unsalted butter 
• 75 g dried strawberries, sour cherries or cranberries 
• 2 teaspoons orange juice
• 6 egg whites 
• 225 g caster sugar 
• 75 g plain flour
• 125 g ground almonds 

1. Melt the butter and leave to cool 
2. Put the strawberries, cherries or cranberries and orange juice in a saucepan and heat until the mixture is hot, then turn into a bowl and leave to cool 
3. Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl with a hand-held electric whisk until frothy and increase in volume but not peaking 
4. Add the sugar, flour, and ground almonds and stir in until almost combined
5. Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture, then stir together gently until just combined
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the holes of a greased 12-hole muffin tray
7. Scatter the strawberries, cherries or cranberries on top 
8. Bake in a preheated oven, 200 C(400 F),Gas Mark 6, for about 20 minutes until pale golden and just firm to the touch 
9. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes
10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 
11. Serve sprinkled with caster sugar and ice-cream, if liked. 
12. Have a nice dessert :-)