Plum and Blackberry Friand Bake

Apr 10, 2024

This heavenly dessert is an Ottolenghi recipe I came across recently. And what a beauty it is too – to see and to savour.  Only a couple of tweaks were needed to make this recipe low carb with minimal sugars.

I’m often taken aback these days by the massive quantities of sugar in a “normal” recipe.  This one was no exception. But believe me, there’s absolutely no loss to this dessert’s flavour when you turn the sweetness down.

I really love how the cinnamon and bay leaves work with the fruit. This Ottolenghi lad’s a maestro. His spices don’t announce themselves in a loud way in this recipe, they work under cover, giving this glorious creation such a gorgeously warm sophisticated flavour.

Serves 6 – 8 people

200g blackberries
4 ripe plums (cut into slices)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 ½ tbsp sweetener*
3 bay leaves
1 tsp cinnamon
180g almond flour
5 egg whites
180g butter
Pinch of salt

I used a ovenproof baking dish 26cm x 17cm.

*Natural sweetener options could include xylitol, erythritol, allulose. See Alternative Sweeteners page for more info. Each will have slightly different levels of sweetness. Adjust to taste.
I used allulose for this recipe. If you are using a coarser granulated sweetener such as xylitol or erythritol, I’d recommend you mill the sweetener first for the fruit topping.

Put the vanilla essence, ½ tbsp milled sweetener, bay leaves, ½ tsp cinnamon into a bowl and mix together. Add the fruit and stir gently to ensure the fruit is covered with the sweet marinate.
Leave for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pre-heat the oven to Gas mark 5/190c
Mix together the almond flour, 4 tbsp sweetener, the other ½ tsp cinnamon and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they froth. (Not until they’re stiff).
Melt the butter. (Use a little of the melted butter to brush around the sides and base of the baking dish).
Add the egg whites and melted butter to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
Pour the batter into the baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the fruit and juices.
Bake for 40 minutes. Cover with foil for the last 10 minutes until the batter is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.