Prep time: 30 mins
Baking time: approx 15 mins plus cooling
Level: Mix it all and bake it type recipe this one...
Ingredients:
130g powdered sugar
50g ground almonds
50g flour
1 level tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
10g honey, slightly warmed to make it runny
135g egg whites
70g butter, melted
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Pre-heat oven to 160°C and grab a sieve, a saucepan and three bowls. First bowl is for all sifted dry ingredients and second for pre-mixing the egg whites and the honey. On the side keep a third bowl with cold (iced) water ready.
The key step is to get the butter to develop that nutty flavour (or beurre noisette) so take all the time to ensure this is done patiently. Ideally small rectanular moulds are needed but muffin pans will work a treat too!
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Cook the butter in a small saucepan on medium-low heat until it becomes medium-dark brown, also called 'noisette' or hazelnut brown and smells of toasted hazelnuts. Remove from heat and chill saucepan in the bowl of cold water (to stop further cooking). Then strain though a tea strainer or muslin or simply skim off the impurities at the top and leave out sediments that may have settled at the bottom of the saucepan. Let cool to room temperature before use.
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Sift all dry ingredients together a couple of times.
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Whisk together the honey and egg whites to loosen up the honey. This will make it easier to mix these in with the dry ingredients. Grab a whisk and mix in the honey and egg whites with the dry ingredients.
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Now let the batter rest in the fridge for 20-30 mins.
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In the meantime get the moulds ready, by generously buttering them and then dusting with plain flour. Will make tipping out the cakes once baked very easy.
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Pipe the batter halfway to three-quarters into moulds and put them in the oven to bake for 12-15 mins or till a skewer comes out clean.
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Cool on a wire rack and serve with whipped cream spiked with lavender or orange blossom essence.
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| TIP |
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You could use chopped pears, raspberries, matcha green tea powder to come up with your own variations on this standard recipe. Oh and a pinch of salt works wonders in most things sweet!
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