Lemon and poppyseed friands
Are you baking a difference this year? If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, CSR Bake a Difference is an event that encourages people to bake/make Christmas presents this year rather than buying. I do admit that I like giving gifts and I often spend a lot of time trying to think of the perfect present for friends/family. But I’ve come to realise what I like the most is not about spending a lot of money – it’s about being thoughtful and making an effort for someone I care about. So rather than purchasing something, why not make something instead?
Penny from Addictive & Consuming is the host for this event, and this is her description:
“CSR Bake a Difference” is a fantastic event that encourages everyone to bake their Christmas presents this year instead of buying them and donate the money they save to Mission Australia through www.csrbakeadifference.com.au. CSR Sugar will match each donation dollar for dollar up to $100,000 so there’s the potential to raise $200,000 that will go directly towards helping disadvantaged Australians. If you’d like to make a donation, all donations need to be made via the CSR Bake a Difference website.
I’ve made two items that I think would be great as gifts. The first is almond and chocolate toffee. It’s a bit of an ugly duckling – it’s very rustic and you can tell it’s homemade. Fortunately, it tastes better than it looks, and I reckon that it tastes like Almond Roca!
If baking is more your thing, how about some lemon and poppy seed friands? Sweet and lemony, but with a touch of savouriness from the poppy seeds, they’re a light little morsel to have with a cup of tea.
Donations to Mission Australia can be made through the CSR website here, and as mentioned previously, CSR will be matching donations dollar for dollar (up to a total of $100,000). And what do Mission Australia do? They help disadvantaged Australians by providing family, employment and community services.
I hope that you’ll be joining us in Baking a Difference this year. There will be more ideas from other bloggers on Penny’s blog in a few days if you need further inspiration!
Almond and chocolate toffee
Adapted from the Golden Book of Chocolate
1&1/2 cups (200g) almonds, roughly crushed
1 cup (250g) butter
1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
1&1/2 cups (300g) firmly packed light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
350g semisweet dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 25x38cm pan with non-stick baking paper.
Spread the almonds over the bottom of the pan.
In a saucepan, place the butter, both sugars, and salt and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Pour the syrup over the almonds.
Place the pan in the oven until the surface is bubbly – about 5-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips.
Let it cool in the pan completely and then peel off the baking paper and break the toffee into pieces.
Lemon and poppyseed friands
From AWW Bake
Makes 12 (or 8 large ones)
6 egg whites
185g butter, melted
1 cup (125g) almond meal
1 & 1/2 cups (240g) icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a 12 hole muffin pan (I used an 8 hole mini loaf tin).
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a fork until frothy. Stir in the butter, almond meal, icing sugar, flour, poppy seeds and lemon rind and mix to combine.
Spoon the mixture into your tin and bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked. Allow them to stand in the tin for five minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool.
Allan
December 13, 2010 @ 11:18 pm
thats a huge friand =). mmm
everytime i eat/see poppyseed – it always triggers thoughts about drug testing LOL
Agnes
December 14, 2010 @ 9:58 pm
Haha, I know the friands were huge! I used a mini loaf tin. I used to have friand tins but I must’ve thrown them out because they were crap.
Poppyseeds / drug testing always makes me think of the Seinfeld episode. So funny!
leaf @ theindolentcook
December 14, 2010 @ 12:47 am
They both look wonderful! Great contributions.
Agnes
December 14, 2010 @ 9:57 pm
Thanks leaf 🙂
GourmetGetaways
December 14, 2010 @ 11:26 am
Oh I didn’t think of making cakes for bake a difference, I have been busy making Chrismas treats! What a great idea, I am going back to the kitchen and baking some more!
Agnes
December 14, 2010 @ 9:56 pm
I wanted to make Xmas treats but I ran out of time and so had to bake something easy! 🙂
Hannah
December 14, 2010 @ 12:26 pm
I’m currently in that stressful period of trying to figure out what I’m going to make/bake for all my relatives for Christmas. So thanks, Agnes, you’ve just made things two-times-recipes worse. Hmph.
‘Cause that toffee looks fantastic. And friands are so easily adaptable to being gluten and dairy-free… And I want to eat them all.
P.S. Would you like me to write a Day After Your Birthday Poem?
Agnes
December 14, 2010 @ 9:56 pm
Of course I want a Day After My Birthday Poem!!
penny aka jeroxie
December 14, 2010 @ 9:34 pm
Hmmm… you are my almost neighbour. I wonder if I will be fortunate to get a bag of those almond and chocolate toffee…
Thanks for signing up. I hope more people will start giving!
Agnes
December 14, 2010 @ 9:55 pm
Well you might get egg tarts or chiffon sponges instead, almost neighbour! :p The parents brought me over a huge heap of tart and sponge tins, and we’re going to make egg tarts and chiffon cake together at some stage. 😀
Sophia
December 15, 2010 @ 10:06 pm
God, those look amazing! I would be more than happy to receive that as a present 😀 I must try your friand recipe, it looks really good <3
Emma @CakeMistress
December 17, 2010 @ 2:34 pm
Those toffees are great for bagging up and sharing at Christmas. Totally agree with their cause. Homemade pressies are the best for Christmas 🙂
@CooksJournal
December 23, 2010 @ 9:34 am
Love a good friand especially ones with poppyseeds in them, love how this recipe does not skimp on almond meal. Will use it for future friands.
Cherrie
December 26, 2010 @ 9:30 am
That almond and chocolate toffee is not ugly! It looks so yummy and I just want to grab them and eat it now!