Raspberry friands & Figgy biscotti

This week at work we have had a couple of Jubilee celebrations. On Thursday we had a bake sale for ST Mary's hospice and I made some delicious little friands and some figgy biscotti. Then on Friday we had a picnic for which I made cheese straws (just Blacksticks cheese and puff pastry but highly effective).

For the friands (above) sift together 75g plain flour, 225g icing sugar, 100g ground almonds and a pinch of salt. In another bowl lightly whisk together 5 egg whits until just about holding soft peaks. Add the egg whites with 135g melted and cooled unsalted butter to the dry ingredients, along with the zest of 1 and a half lemons. Mix together until combined and then divide between 12 silicon muffin or friand holes. Place 5 raspberries on the top of each friand and scatter with some flaked almonds. Bake at 180C for 15min. Cool in the tin before carefully removing and dusting with icing sugar!

For the biscotti, which I packaged with my little porcelain tags, sift 225g plain flour, 150g caster sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Add 75g chopped blanched almonds, 100g chopped dried figs and the zest of a lemon. Mix together. Whisk together a whole egg and an extra egg yolk, 50g melted and cooled unsalted butter and a teaspoon of vanilla essence. Add all this to the dry ingredients and mix to a soft dough. Divide in two and make into two 20cm sausages. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 180C for 35 min. Cool and then slice into 1cm diagonal slices. Lay flat in one layer on a lined baking sheet or two and cook at 170C for 10min, flip them all over and cook for another 10min. Cool and enjoy!