A most moreish morsel of light sponge made with egg whites and flavoured with rhubarb and white chocolate. These rhubarb friands are gluten-free, easy to bake and even easier to eat.
Back along, nearly three years ago to be exact, I hosted a six course chocolate themed dinner party for friends. These rhubarb friands with white chocolate (that’s with an a not an e) accompanied the rhubarb, rose and white chocolate ice-cream that made up the last course but one. With rhubarb already in season, this seems like a good time to finally publish the recipe.
What Are Friands?
Friands are the Australian version of the better known French financiers. They’re cakes made with egg whites, so are a lighter bake than your average sponge. Traditionally, they’re made with a mix of ground almonds and flour. However, I always use buckwheat flour in my friands so as to make them gluten free and why not? It seems to work as they are extremely moreish and it also makes them more inclusive.
Friands are also easy to prepare and quick to bake. I’ve neither the traditional oval friand moulds, nor the rectangular financier ones, so I make do with plain old muffin moulds. Actually, I use mini ones more often than not as they’re a perfect size for a party or after-dinner treat. Mini sized also gives a good balance of crisp outer edge and soft, light interior. Tuck in.
Rhubarb Friands with White Chocolate
Tart and flavoursome rhubarb gives a lovely lift to these sweet little cakes. They’re incredibly quick to make as you don’t need to cream butter and sugar together as you do for a normal sponge cake. All you really need to do is melt the butter and white chocolate together, allow it to cool a little then mix in all the other ingredients.
There, I said it was easy.
I do have one quick tip on how to make these rhubarb friands just as they should be though. Make sure to chop the rhubarb quite finely so that it cooks through. The Friands are only in the oven for fifteen minutes.
Other Friand Recipes You Might Like
- Brown butter choc chip friands via Tin and Thyme
- Cinnamon choc chip friands via Tin and Thyme
- Hazelnut and white chocolate friands via As Strong as Soup
- Raspberry friands via Tin and Thyme
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these cute little rhubarb friands, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more rhubarb recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Rhubarb Friands. PIN IT.
Rhubarb Friands – The Recipe
Rhubarb Friands with White Chocolate
Ingredients
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 25 g white chocolate I used Green & Black's
- 25 g trimmed rhubarb – chopped very finely
- 1 large egg white I used a duck egg
- 40 g golden icing sugar
- 15 g buckwheat flour
- 20 g ground almonds
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat with the white chocolate. Stir and leave to cool a little.
- Whisk the egg white in a large bowl until frothy, but not stiff.
- Sieve in the icing sugar and whisk.
- Gently stir in the melted butter mixture followed by the rhubarb.
- Sieve in the buckwheat flour and fold in together with the ground almonds.
- Divide the mixture between 12 silicone mini cupcake cases.
- Bake for about 15 minutes at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) until golden, firm and well risen.
- Leave to cool for a little, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Sharing
This month We Should Cocoa is being hosted by another baking luminary, Helen at Casa Costello. She has chosen red/pink as the theme for this month, so my pink rhubarb friands fit in perfectly I reckon.
My rhubarb friands also go to Lucy the Baking Queen for Perfecting Patisserie.
I don’t use Rhubarb nearly enough – These are tempting me so much! Thanks again for inviting me to host #WeShouldCocoa during April x
Thanks Helen, I adore rhubarb. And thank you very much for hosting this month.
I LOVE Friands….. Can see these look amazing and the idea of using rhubarb in them sounds divine…
So excited to see our rhubarb is nearly ready for first harvest! Yay!!!!
Hooray, another friand fan Kate. I’m envious of your rhubarb. Ours doesn’t like out plot and refuses to go. We’ve tried several plants in different locations. No idea why.
Now would you believe, I’ve never actually made friands or financiers. The rhubarb is coming through in the garden so I may give these a try, they look and sound delicious.
Ooh, I’m so looking forward to getting hold of some rhubarb. Ours doesn’t like it down on the plot for some reason, so I only get what my mother passes to me these days. Our old allotment grew it really well.
I love Friands and these are a great twist on the original. GG
Thanks GG. Always good to chat to fellow friand fans 🙂
I LOVE the idea of having the white chocolate cooked throughout the sponge, that sounds so delicious!
White chocolate works really well in baking, it’s much underrated.
Mmmmmmmmmmmm Friands are the best – you’re right, it’s the combination of crispy & soft!
Ah yes, of course you would know what a friand is Emma 🙂
A dinner party focused on chocolate sounds divine! And I love rhubarb!
The dinner party was a really fun thing to do. As for rhubarb I’m getting very excited about this year’s harvest 🙂
They look delicious. I am always looking for new recipes that call for buckwheat flour.
Thanks Vicky. I often add buckwheat flour to bakes as I quite like the texture and flavour it brings.
Errrr… think I have just found my inspiration for my next bake day. Yum! I imagine they would be good with a dollop of custard over the top too.
Ooh now Lucie, that does sound like a nice idea.
I don’t do the baking in the family, but my main man does take requests! I’ll see if he can tackle these.
A baker in the house who takes requests is a very find thing indeed 🙂
It’s safe to say that I love friands and yet I haven’t made any for quite a while. This has reminded me just how good they can be, especially since I love rhubarb. I also like your use of buckwheat flour – I must try that.
It was you that got me on to friands in the first place Phil and I’m so very pleased you did. I always use buckwheat flour now when I make friands.
I’m so pleased friands are starting to get a profile here! They are one of my favourite things.
Oh I wish they were Alicia. I think you said something similar when I first made them 4 or 5 years ago.
I ADORE rhubarb! Is it rhubarb season again? I loose track!!! I’ve never had a friand but these look delicious. Perfect with a cup of tea 🙂
I love rhubarb too. Garden rhubarb is emerging now, though I think the forced early rhubarb is probably over. You must try a friand.
Can you believe that friands have been on my to do list for like 3 years. I must pull my finger out and make some, starting with yours.
I can indeed believe it Bintu – I’ve had things on my to do list since I first started my blog.
These look delicious!
Thanks Erica, they really are tasty little morsels 🙂
I keep meaning to bake more with rhubarb – its on my to do list this year. These look so good.
I love the flavour and sharp tang that rhubarb gives to sweet bakes and it works really well with white chocolate.
Mmm, these sound and look delicious! I love friands and rhubarb and white chocolate sounds like a wonderful combination. Must try these. Thanks so much for joining in with #PerfectingPatisserie!
Thanks Lucy. I’ve been meaning to join in for ages, but keep forgetting!