Inner Peace on a Plate

I struggled to find an “F” bake. Labored. Hemmed and hawed. I had plans for one thing, scrapped them, researched another. As I happily brushed my muffin tin with butter this morning while the dogs lay on the floor nearby and my husband split wood for us to burn this fall and winter, I came to recognize that I hadn’t been able to pick something because there was simply too much happening around us.

Since my last post in April, I have celebrated my birthday (with that beautifully pink cake!), made both “D” (danish – WOW were those fun to make!) and “E” (entremets – what a laborious endeavor, complete with mirror glaze and dacquoise), had an epic anniversary celebration (I feel like it’s still kind of going, actually), had a new roof put on our home, lost my dad (the enormity of this should not be lost in the fact that it fits into such a long list of events), camped in six states, run three races, spent a week next to Northport Bay with our fabulous family, changed jobs, remodeled a bathroom, and gained a newfound love for really strong, black coffee made using a “pourover.”

So trying to find something to bake that started with “F” just wasn’t a tremendous priority, evidently. This morning I realized that with all of those things going on, I just couldn’t settle my mind down long enough to pick something. I’ve been eating backpacking meals for two months, for goodness sake. It could have been the learning curve that goes along with a 5 week bathroom remodel that had my head spinning…or maybe it was the dark roast Ranch House blend I have been brewing each morning.

Whatever the reason, the moment I found myself able to dim the new bathroom lights and ease into a decadent hot bath when the fixtures went in on a rainy night this past week, I was able to scroll through ideas, study bakes from around the world, and happily land on something called “Friands.” How had I not discovered these before? I’ve never even heard of them!

It’s a French word, and it means “a tasty item” or “something delicious,” which is lovely in itself. And in France if you order something called a Friand, you will be served a savory puff pastry filled with sausage, cheese, and herbs, or something along those lines.

In Australia and New Zealand, however, a Friand is a bit more like the French financier. In fact, if you dig out the history of a Friand, it appears that a baker in Australia was actually wanting to make financiers but didn’t have the right pan. So instead of the traditional financier rectangle shape, an oval shaped pan was used and et voila! The Friand was invented. Now, it seems, you can’t visit an Australian bakery without finding these little “tasty items” in all sorts of flavors.

This recipe is for Raspberry Almond Friands, which I can tell you taste best when sitting on your patio among your late-summer flowers with your to-do list set to the side, strong black coffee steaming in the early morning air, and a good book to read while the birds sing in the trees above to usher in the fall season. If you are able to replicate that exact scenario, you will be fortunate enough to taste inner peace restored.

It’s quite unparalleled.