These Blackberry and Star Anise Friands are gorgeous and spiced right for the holidays

The combination of fresh, tangy blackberries and a hint of spice make this ideal for the holidays — not to mention that these mini-cakes make the prettiest addition to potluck. They’re certain to leave your guests reaching for seconds and begging you for the recipe later.

Blackberry and Star Anise Friands

By Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh

These friands, little French cakes whose elegance and svelteness somehow betray quite how much (burnt) butter is built into their being, look splendid when iced — destined for top ranking on any tiered cake stand — but also work with no icing, in the cookie jar, for grabbing on a whim. They’ll lose their slightly chewy edge after the first day or so, but still taste great. Blueberries or raspberries can be used instead of the blackberries. Don’t use strawberries, though; they are too watery.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup + 2 tsp butter, plus 1 tbsp, melted, for brushing
• ½ cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 ⅔ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 ¼ cups almond meal
• 1 ½ tsp ground star anise (or 3 whole star anise, ground in a spice grinder and passed through a fine-mesh sieve)
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 5 ¼ oz egg whites (from 4 large eggs)
• Finely grated zest of 1 small orange (1 tsp)
• 18 fresh blackberries, cut in half lengthwise

Icing (optional):

• 2 oz fresh blackberries, plus 24 blackberries, to garnish
• ¾ tbsp water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 ⅓ cups confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush the 12 molds in a regular muffin pan with melted butter and dust with flour. Tap the pan gently to ensure an even coating of the flour, then turn upside down to remove the excess. Place in the fridge to chill while you make the batter.

Place the butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until melted. Continue to cook until the butter is foaming, gently swirling the pan from time to time, to allow the solids to brown more evenly. You will see dark brown sediments begin to form on the sides and bottom of the pan. Continue to allow the butter to bubble away until it turns a rich golden brown and smells of toasted nuts and caramel. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes, to allow the burnt solids to collect at the bottom of the pan. Strain through a fine-mesh (or muslin-lined) sieve, discarding the solids. Allow the browned butter to cool slightly before using. It should still be warm when folding into the mix later. If it is too hot, it will cook the egg whites; if it is too cool, it will be difficult to incorporate into the mix.

While the butter is cooling, sift the flour, icing sugar, ground almonds, star anise and salt into a bowl. Put the egg whites in a small bowl and use a whisk or fork to froth them up for a few seconds — you do not need to whisk them completely. Pour the egg whites into the sifted dry ingredients and stir until they are incorporated. Add the orange zest and browned butter and mix until the batter is smooth.

Remove the muffin tin from the fridge and fill the moulds just over two-thirds of the way up the sides. Place three halved blackberries on top, cut side down, and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees F — starting with a high oven temperature and then bringing it down is the way to achieve the lovely brown crust you want — turn the tray around in the oven for even cooking, and continue to cook for another 8 minutes, until the edges of the friands are golden brown and the centres have a slight peak and spring back when gently prodded. Set aside to cool before removing them from their moulds; you might need to use a small knife to help you release the sides.

To make the icing, place the 2 oz of blackberries in a small bowl with the water and lemon juice. Use a fork to mash them together, then pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to extract as much fruit juice as possible: you should get about 60ml. Sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl, pour in the blackberry juice and combine to make a light-purple runny icing: it should just be thick enough to form a thin glaze on the tops of the cakes.

Spoon the icing over the cakes, spreading it to the edges so that it runs down the sides. Do this on a rack, if you can, as icing them on a plate or sheet of paper means that the icing will pool at the bottom. Put 2 small blackberries on each friand, set aside for 20 or 30 minutes to set, then serve.

Note: Without icing, these will keep for up to 4 days. If the weather is warm, store in the fridge and zap in the microwave for a few seconds (literally 3 seconds!) to restore their buttery moisture. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed in the fridge and warmed in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes; this will restore their crisp edges, as well. Once iced, they’re best eaten on the same day.

Excerpted from Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh (Appetite by Random House®, $45). Photography by Peden + Munk. ©2017.