Pistachio & Raspberry Friand

This might look like a complicated bake, but I assure you it’s not. The result? A light and delicious pistachio-based friand that’s a proven crowd-pleaser.

We had friends over for dinner last Saturday night and I decided to serve this Pistachio & Raspberry Friand along with homemade custard for dessert. The recipe is based on one out of a magazine but we can’t remember which one, as we only have a snap of it which my boyfriend took with his phone.

As you might have learned from my Pistachio Butter post published recently that I won 5kg of raw Senqu River Pistachios, so I was keen to bake something using pistachio flour. The original friand recipe makes use of almond flour, so I wanted to put my spin on it and used pistachios instead to create a Pistachio & Raspberry Friand.

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You also might have seen that I’ve started working with Thermomix again and became a consultant last week. You’ll be seeing a lot more Thermomix recipes and content going forward, which I hope existing Thermomix users enjoy. For those of you who don’t have a Thermomix and are interested in learning more about them, please get in touch with me via email (nicky@mydeliciousmonster.com) or send me a DM on Instagram.

I’m also going to do my best to include methods for both Thermomix and manual along with my recipes, in the hope of not isolating those who don’t yet have one.

Pistachio & Raspberry Friand

Serves 8 -12

As mentioned above, this might seem like a complicated recipe because of all the steps, but it really isn’t. The addition of almond essence gives the friand a beautiful light almond flavour which compliments the pistachios. Serve with custard, ice cream, cream, or as is. Can be made 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container.

Ingredients

• 220g raw pistachios
• 150g icing sugar
• 25g cake flour
• 6 egg whites
• 150g butter
• 1/2 tsp almond essence
• 150g fresh raspberries

Thermomix Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
2. Grease a 20cm fluted springform or loose-bottomed tart tin.
3. Place 190g of the raw pistachios in the mixing bowl along with the icing sugar and flour, then mill for 10 Sec. / Speed 8.
4. Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl into a separate bowl and set aside.
5. Place the remaining 30g of raw pistachios in the mixing bowl and coarsely chop for 12 Sec. / Speed 6, then transfer to a bowl and set aside to use right before you place the friand in the oven.
6. Insert the Butterfly Whisk into the mixing bowl, add the egg whites and whisk 3 Min. / Speed 3.5 until they form soft peaks.
7. Gently scrape the whisked egg whites into a separate bowl and set them aside.
8. Place the butter in the mixing bowl and melt for 3 Min. / 55°C / Speed 2. Allow the melted butter to cool for 10 minutes before moving on to the next step.
9. Add the almond essence and pistachio sugar mixture to the melted butter and mix 30-45 Sec. / Speed 4
10. Gently add the whisked egg whites and fold everything together using the Knead function for 30 Sec.
11. Transfer the mixture into the tart tin, dot the top of the tart with fresh raspberries, and sprinkle with the remaining 30g of coarsely chopped pistachios.
12. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and a cake tester or skewer inserted into the tart comes out clean.
13. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the tin and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Traditional Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
2. Grease a 20cm fluted springform or loose-bottomed tart tin.
3. Place the butter in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for around 40 seconds or until completely melted. Set aside to cool to room temp.
4. Place 190g of the raw pistachios in a food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a fine nut flour.
5. Add the icing sugar and flour, and pulse for a few more seconds until combined and then transfer to a separate mixing bowl.
6. Place the remaining 30g of pistachios in the food processor and coarsely chop, then set aside to use later.
7. Add the melted butter and almond essence, then mix to combine.
8. Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and with a hand-held mixer, whisk until they form soft peaks.
9. Gently fold the whisked egg whites into the pistachio mixture until just combined.
10. Transfer the mixture into the tart tin, dot the top of the tart with fresh raspberries, and sprinkle with the remaining 30g of coarsely chopped pistachios.
11. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and a cake tester or skewer inserted into the tart comes out clean.
12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the tin and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.