Spelt raspberry pistachio friands are small oven-baked cakes built on browned butter, ground pistachios, and whole spelt flour, with a whole raspberry tucked into the center of each one.
The crumb stays soft and moist, closer to a financier than a muffin. Spelt flour has a gentler gluten structure than regular wheat, so the batter stays tender even after a good fold.
Browning the butter first gives the friands a nutty base note that plain melted butter can’t match. Watch it closely; a few seconds past golden and it turns bitter instead of nutty.
The batter comes together in one bowl with no mixer needed. You can bake these ahead for a weekend brunch or pack them plain for a lunchbox treat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One bowl batter with no mixer or electric beaters needed
- Spelt flour keeps the crumb soft instead of dense
- Browned butter gives a nutty base without extra ingredients
- Bakes and freezes well for lunchboxes or afternoon tea
Ingredient Notes
- white spelt flour: Gives a softer crumb than regular wheat flour and a mild, slightly nutty taste. Whole spelt flour also works but gives a denser, browner friand.
- unsalted butter: Browning it first is what gives these friands their flavor. Watch closely once it foams; it goes from golden to burnt in under a minute.
- pistachios: Grind them yourself in a food processor for the freshest flavor. Pre-ground pistachio meal works too if you can find it.
- egg whites: Use them straight from the fridge or at room temperature, whisked just until foamy. Overwhisking adds too much air and the friands rise unevenly.
- fresh raspberries: Frozen raspberries work if you don’t thaw them first; press them into the batter straight from the freezer so they hold their shape.
- icing sugar: Sift it before mixing to avoid lumps in the batter, and keep extra on hand for dusting the finished friands.
Spelt Raspberry Pistachio Friands with Brown Butter
Description
These oven-baked friands pair whole spelt flour with browned butter and ground pistachios, keeping the crumb soft while a whole raspberry sits in the middle of each one.
Ingredients
Friand Batter
To Finish
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl often until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Pour the browned butter and its darker milk solids into a bowl to stop it from cooking further. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
Mix the Batter
- Heat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 12-hole friand tin (or 12-cup muffin tin) well, including the corners.
- Sift the icing sugar, spelt flour, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the ground pistachios.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the browned butter and fold gently with a spatula until the batter looks glossy and no streaks of butter remain.
Bake and Finish
- Divide the batter evenly between the tin holes, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Press 3 to 4 raspberries into each friand and scatter the chopped pistachios over the tops.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and spring back when you press them lightly.
- Cool the friands in the tin for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn out onto a wire rack.
- Dust with icing sugar once fully cooled and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 12
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 235kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 14g22%
- Saturated Fat 6g30%
- Cholesterol 27mg9%
- Sodium 70mg3%
- Potassium 105mg3%
- Total Carbohydrate 23g8%
- Dietary Fiber 2g8%
- Sugars 16g
- Protein 4g8%
- Vitamin A 300 IU
- Vitamin C 3 mg
- Calcium 10 mg
- Iron 0.3 mg
- Vitamin E 1 mg
- Vitamin K 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin 0.1 mg
- Riboflavin 0.1 mg
- Niacin 1 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.1 mg
- Folate 8 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.1 mcg
- Phosphorus 41 mg
- Magnesium 10 mg
- Zinc 0.1 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Brown butter until it smells nutty, not acrid, or the crumb turns bitter.
- Whisk egg whites just until foamy, not stiff, for a dense tender crumb.
- Grease the tin well; browned butter batter can stick without it.
- Press raspberries in gently so they don't sink to the base.
