Damson Friands

Damson are one of my favourite fruits to cook with, quite sour and not really edible in its raw state. These small cherry-sized plums tend to make an appearance in September (autumn) for around 3 weeks and then you'll have to wait another year to harvest. The best way to enjoy damsons are stewed or jellied then pushed through a sieve to remove the stones. Since the season is so short, I tend to buy up in large quantities and freeze them for later use.

600g flaked almonds
300g caster sugar
250g good quality salted butter
100ml butter milk
10 egg whites
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

ICING:
300g wild damson
150g caster sugar
3 tablespoons water
300g cream cheese
100g mascarpone

METHOD:

Place butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat until it becomes foamy then remove from heat and leave to stand. Ground almonds in food processor until they are fine like breadcrumbs (might take several minutes to get this consistency). Place the ground almonds in a large mixing bowl with sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and mix together until combined. Add the buttermilk, egg whites, vanilla, butter to the dry mixture and beat together for 2 minutes.

To bake friands grease friand pan with either oil spray or butter and 3/4 fill each mould. Bake in a pre-heated oven set at 180ºC for 25 minutes.

To make the icing put damson, water and sugar in sauce pan and place over a high heat, cook for about 10 minutes until a syrup forms then remove from heat. Pass the damson through a sieve and using the back of a spoon push through the flesh and discard the stones. Put cream cheese and mascarpone in mixing bowl then add 3/4 of the damsom syrup, beat until well combined. Using a tablespoon place a large dot of icing on top of each friand followed by 1 teaspoon of damson syrup.

Tiramisu Friands

Another delightful friand recipe and a Kaffeine favourite. However I can't take all the credit for this recipe, James the ex-lead barista nagged me for 2 months to create a Tiramisu friand. So here they are courtesy of James and myself.
I should also add that the friand mixture and icing will sit happily in the fridge for up to 4 days, just in case you didn't want to make them all at once. This mixture will also yield around 24 friands.

600g flaked almonds
300g caster sugar
250g salted butter
10 egg whites
1 teaspoon baking powder
100ml buttermilk
1 tablespoon freshly ground coffee beans
1 tablespoon tia maria
1 teaspoon vanilla

ICING:
250g cream cheese
100g mascarpone
100g caster sugar
50g dark chocolate
25g dark cocoa powder
50ml double cream
100ml coffee espresso
1 tablespoon tia maria

GARNISH:
Cocoa powder
Coffee beans

Method:

Place butter in a small sauce pan and melt over medium heat till it becomes foamy then remove from heat and leave to stand. Ground almonds in food processor till fine like bread crumbs, might take several minutes to get the right consistency. Then place almonds in a large mixing bowl with sugar, baking powder, coffee and mix together till combined. Add the buttermilk, egg whites, tia maria, vanilla and butter to the dry mixture and beat together for 2 minutes.
To bake friands grease a friand pan with either oil spray or butter and 3/4 fill each mold then bake in a pre-heated oven set at 180oC for 25 minutes.
For the icing place sugar, chocolate, cocoa, cream, coffee and tia maria in a sauce plan and place over a high heat. Bring to a rolling boil then cook for 5 minutes till the syrup coats the back of a spoon, then remove from heat and stand to cool. Once the syrup is luke-warm add 3/4 to a large mixing bowl with cream cheese and mascarpone and beat together till evenly combined.
Once the friands have cooled remove from pan and top with a tablespoon of icing. With the remaining syrup drizzle over friand icing and lastly garnish with a pinch of cocoa powder and coffee bean then serve.

Roasted Chantenay Carrots with Red Pepper Sauce

Here's a very tasty and vibrant little side dish with plenty of bite. Bound to make history at a dinner table near you.

1kg washed chantenay carrots
50ml vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

Red Pepper Sauce:
100g flaked almonds
450g canned roasted red peppers
2 plum tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
2 dried red chillies
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
100ml extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Place carrots on baking tray and drizzle oil on carrots then sprinkle salt over top, place in oven set at 190oC for 45 minutes. Half way through cooking stir carrots around the tray and place back in oven to finish roasting.
For the sauce place frying pan over a medium heat and add the almonds, toast almonds while stiring round the pan till golden brown. In a food processor add all the sauce ingredients and blend together for 2 minutes.
Once carrots are roasted serve with a side of red pepper sauce.

Watermelon and Smoked Mozarella Salad

I have to admit I was never a fan of watermelon growing up, however I've recently reacquainted myself and realised how very very wrong I was. Especially on a hot day there isn't anything as refreshing and sweet like a beautiful watermelon, simple and satisfying.
This salad incorporates melon with smoked stringy textured cheese and slender crunchy flaked almonds. All rounded off with peppery rocket and slightly bitter red onion, all flavours balanced to make a wonderful summer salad. 

1/2 watermelon
300g smoked mozzarella
1 red onion
50g flaked almonds
70g washed rocket

Dressing:
2  juiced lemons
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
1 apple
1 shallot
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons water
50ml extra virgin olive oil

 Method:
To make the dressing peel apple and slice into wedges then cut out the core.  Place apple, lemon juice, mustard, diced shallot, salt and water over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Once apple turns mushy remove dressing from heat and pour in food processor. Blend dressing with olive oil for 2 minutes till smooth.
Place a small fry pan over medium heat and add the almonds, toss in the pan till they just start to turn golden brown then remove from heat. Peel red onion, slice in half and top'n'tail then slice very finely lengthways. Remove the rind off melon and cube into 2cm piece's. To make the salad you can either make 4-6 individual servings or 1 large platter. First lay down rocket followed by a scattering of red onion and melon. Then tear mozzarella into small piece and evenly distribute over salad, lastly sprinkle almonds on salad and drizzle over desired amount of dressing.

Melilot Friands

Yet another friand recipe but this one is definitely my favorite, well for now at least. After my foraging trip last month I discovered Melilot which is used in french cooking and grows wild this time of year. Its a weed slash yellow flower that has a very distinct pleasant flavour similar to vanilla, hay, almonds and honey. Thank god very little is needed to reap the flavours from melilot, at £400 a kilo you don't want to be too heavy handed with this particular ingredient.
This batch will yield 24 friands and the unbaked batter will sit happily in the fridge for a week.

600g flaked almonds
300g caster sugar
250g good quality salted butter
100ml buttermilk
10 egg whites
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5g melilot

ICING:
200ml double cream
150g sugar
5g melilot
500g cream cheese

METHOD:
Place butter and melilot in a small sauce pan and melt over medium heat till it becomes foamy then remove from heat and leave to stand. Ground almonds in food processor till fine like bread crumbs might take several minutes to get the right consistency. Then place almonds in a large mixing bowl with sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and mix together till combined. Add the buttermilk, egg whites, vanilla and strained butter to the dry mixture and beat together for 2 minutes.
To bake friands grease a friand pan with either oil spray or butter and 3/4 fill each mold then bake in a pre-heated oven set at 180oC for 25 minutes.
To make icing put cream, sugar and melilot into a sauce pan and place over high heat, bring to a rolling and rapid boil for 5 minutes then remove from heat and strain out the melilot. Once cooled beat the infused mixture into cream cheese till well combined.
Once the friands have cooled completely turn out from pan and spoon a large dollop of icing on top and garnish with a little sprinkling of melilot.

Raspberry Friands

Another friand variety, every couple of weeks I change the flavour to reflect the change of seasons and keep customers coming back for something different. I'm going to repeat myself and recommend you buy flaked almonds and ground them in a food processor this will give the friands a better crumb and infinitely lighter. You can use pre-ground almonds but I find the final product too dry, dense and smacky on the pallet. Also this mixture will sit happily in your fridge for up to a week and yields around 48 friands.

600g flaked almonds
300g caster sugar
250g good quality salted butter
100ml buttermilk
10 egg whites
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
150g raspberries

ICING:
200g raspberries
400g cream cheese
100g caster sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

METHOD:
Place butter in a small sauce pan and melt over medium heat till it becomes foamy then remove from heat and leave to stand. Ground almonds in food processor till fine like bread crumbs might take several minutes to get the right consistency. Then place almonds in a large mixing bowl with sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and mix together till combined. Add the buttermilk, egg whites, vanilla, butter to the dry mixture and beat together for 2 minutes.
To bake friands grease friand pan with either oil spray or butter and 3/4 fill each mold then dot 3 raspberries down each friand like buttons. Bake in a pre-heated oven set at 180oC for 25 minutes.
To make the icing place raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in sauce pan and place over a medium heat, cook for about 10 minutes till a syrup forms then remove from heat and leave to cool till luke warm. Put cream cheese in mixing bowl and using a beater whip air into cream cheese. Pour half the raspberry syrup into cream cheese and beat till well combined. Using a tablespoon place a large dot of icing on top of each friand followed by 1 teaspoon of raspberry syrup and a fresh raspberry then lightly dust with icing sugar.