Raspberry and Pistachio Friands / Muffins

(makes 12)

Adapted from Donna Hay

These little cupcake muffin moulds are soo adorable i couldn't help but bake something for Valentines day! I'm pretty sure anything would look delicious in them so i thought i'd try something new!
Friands are (i think) supposed to be more dense because they are made of meal (almond or pistachio) and are usually in that funny oval shape, right next to the muffins i usually go for! I haven't really tried making them before, but my dear friend Elaine once told me that she ate one from Becassé that was life-changing ~ so i've been meaning to try it out since then! 
I'm not sure how they are supposed to turn out and unfortunately she wasn't here to taste-test... but they were quite delicious, not too dense, bit fluffy ~ somewhere halfway in between.. maybe it was a muffîand?!

Prep time: 30 min

Cooking time: 25min

Ingredients: 
3/4C (60g) almond meal
1/4C + 2 T (40g) finely ground pistachios
1 2/3C (200g) icing sugar
3/4C plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
5 egg whites
125g butter, melted
zest of 1 lime
130g frozen raspberries
2 T roughly chopped pistachios (extra)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 150˚C.
2. Toast the pistachios in the oven for 5-7 minutes, cool then pulse to process in a food processor. Take out 2 T of roughly chopped pistachios, then continue to process the rest to make a finely ground pistachio meal.
3. Turn the oven up to 180˚C.
4. Sift the icing sugar and the flour. Combine with the almond and pistachio meal.
5. In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites. Add in the melted butter and the zest.
6. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, until well combined.
7. Toss through the frozen raspberries.

8. Lightly grease muffin tin (or muffin moulds) with butter, then fill the tin up to 3/4.

9. Bake for 20-25min, or until golden brown and cooked through.Cool for 5min on a cooling rack.

10. Top with fresh raspberries and icing sugar!