Lemon Friands with Lemon Cream, Mini Meringues and Sweet Mint Lemon Syrup

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Lemon Friands with Lemon Cream, Mini Meringues and Sweet Mint Lemon Syrup is such a delicious dessert that I am struggling to do it justice with my description, but I will try! Delicate, moist, soft and buttery lemon flavoured sponge leavened with egg whites and loaded with ground almonds, served on a silky bed of cream, lemon curd and yoghurt, drizzled with a lemon and mint syrup and served with delicate, little balls of sweet, crispy, light, mini meringues.

Lyngen Lodge

This is my version of a dessert we enjoyed on our trip to Lyngen Lodge last April. They called theirs Citrus Financier with Lemon Cream, Mint Pesto and Meringue, and this is my version.

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What is the difference between friands and financiers?

Friands are hugely popular in Australia and New Zealand and are extremely similar to the French cake, financier; it is claimed that friands came about when a French chef, working in Australia, made a batch of financier in an oval shaped aspic mould and added some fruit. In France financier are often made with brown butter and rarely have additional ingredients, whereas friands are rarely made with brown butter and more frequently include additional ingredients. Either way, both recipes are very similar and are absolute gems!

These friands also make an incredible breakfast –

This recipe is sufficient for between 6 – 9 desserts, depending on the size of the friands. However, if you do not need that many, I urge you to still make the friand recipe as is stands, but maybe reduce the quantities for the syrup and lemon and yoghurt cream accordingly. These friands keep well for a few days and make a fantastic breakfast, served with fresh fruit and yoghurt. Alternatively, they are delicious served simply with a cup of tea or coffee.

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Where is the friand recipe from?

This recipe is adapted from a friand recipe in Mary Berry’s ‘Cook’ book; it is very easy and extremely reliable. Also, please note that making friands is an excellent way of using up leftover egg whites but don’t forget, egg whites can be frozen; this recipe works perfectly with either fresh or de-frosted whites.

How to make Lemon Friands with Lemon Cream, Mini Meringues and Sweet Mint Lemon Syrup

Collect all your ingredients together:

For the Lemon Friands –

• unsalted butter
• almond extract
• lemon zest
• icing sugar
• plain/all-purpose flour
• ground almonds
• fine salt
• egg whites
• icing sugar, to dust over the top

For the Lemon and Mint Syrup –

• water
• caster sugar
• lemon juice
• fresh mint, finely chopped

Lemon and Yoghurt Cream –

• double/heavy cream
• lemon curd – either homemade or shop bought
• plain natural yoghurt

You will also need –

• an extra 9 tablespoons lemon curd – either homemade or shop bought
• mini meringues, with or without whipped cream – either homemade or shop bought
• remaining Lemon and Mint Syrup
• mint leaves

How to make these gorgeous little Lemon Friands:

1. Melt the butter in a pan over a moderate heat. Set aside to cool and then add the almond extract and grate over the lemon zest.
2. Meanwhile sieve the icing sugar, flour, ground almonds and salt into a large mixing bowl.
3. In another mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk until they are foamy – they do not need to have reached the soft peak stage.
4. Fold the butter into the dry ingredients until combined.
5. Now add ⅓ of the egg whites into the mixture and fold in.
6. Add remaining egg whites and carefully fold in. Be careful not to over mix.
7. Grease your muffin tin well and divide the mixture into 6 muffin moulds (120ml by volume) or 9 slightly smaller muffin moulds (70ml by volume). I use an ice cream scoop to do this. It is likely to be a little messy!
8. Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven for 15 – 20 minutes for the larger size and 12 – 17 minutes for the smaller size, until cooked in the centre.
9. Leave in the moulds for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool on a wire rack.

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Now make the Lemon and Mint Syrup –

1. While the friands are baking, make the soaking syrup: heat the water and caster sugar in a saucepan over a moderately low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Take off the heat and add the lemon juice.
3. Finely chop the mint and stir it into the syrup. Set aside to infuse.
4. When you are ready to use the syrup, strain it through a sieve, pushing as much mint flavour out as possible.
5. Use a cocktail stick or skewer to pierce holes in the base of the friands.
6. Halve the syrup and use half to soak the base of each friand in syrup. I pop it in a ramekin and sit the friand on top and leave it here to soak for a few minutes.
7. As it soaks, sieve some icing sugar over the top of each friand.

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Now bring it all together –

1. Make the Lemon and Yoghurt Cream by beating the cream, lemon curd and natural yoghurt together, until you reach soft peaks stage.
2. Divide the Lemon and Yoghurt Cream between small serving plates and swirl with some extra lemon curd.
3. Sit a friand in the centre of each plate and add 2 – 3 meringues.
4. Drizzle over the remaining Lemon and Mint Syrup and decorate with a few mint leaves.
5. Serve any extra mini meringues on the side.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.