Strawberry Friands

Friands are popular in Australia and New Zealand, unfortunately you won't see them in many coffee shops here in the UK. Kaffeine in Fitzrovia, London sell the best strawberry friands and it is well worth making a trip to their coffee shop for these alone, better still, if accompanied by a fabulous coffee. See my previous posting here.

Friands are quite sweet and I think next time I will try and cut down on the amount of sugar.  I tried mixing some pureed strawberries into the buttercream but unfortunately I was left with a curdled mess. Topping friands with buttercream isn't the norm, but I can say they tasted wonderful.  Perhaps mixing some strawberry puree with either mascarpone or whipped double cream would be a better option, here again, after looking at images of friands they don't appear to be topped with any type of cream! 
 
Fresh strawberries, blueberries or raspberries would cut through some of the sweetness, all you have to do is pour the batter into the tin, scatter over a few berries and you can then poke some down into the mixture or leave a few on top. After they have cooled dust with icing sugar.

You will need:  6 hole friand tin well greased.

100g butter, 140g icing sugar, 25g plain flour, 85g ground almonds, 3 medium egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Melt the butter and use some of it to grease the friand tin. Allow the butter to cool.
3. Sift the icing sugar and sifted flour into a bowl. Add the ground almonds and mix all together.
4. Whisk the egg whites lightly until they resemble a froth, and then fold into the dried ingredients.  Mix in the cooled melted butter lightly.
5. Fill the tins with the cake mix.  Bake for 20 minutes until firm.  Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, run a knife around the edges, turn out and cool on a wire rack.
6. They will keep well, without the cream, in an airtight tin for a few days.

London: Fabulous Coffee Shops

Delicious quirky sandwiches at Allpress Espresso

Allpress Espresso, Shoreditch was first on our whirlwind tour of coffee shops in London - not all in one day, I hasten to add. They serve their local community and tourists, who like us, make a special journey to visit them.  Allpress Espresso originates from both Australia and New Zealand.  The coffee is faultless, and the food on both occasions when we have visited has been freshly prepared. The sandwiches and cakes are some of the best I have ever eaten in a coffee shop, and if you visit be sure to try their legendary fluffy scones served with cream and fresh berries, and whilst there perhaps you would be kind enough to see if you can get them to give you the recipe and pass it on to me!  Would you also ask them for the recipe of the cake in the photograph too...... :)

Almond and Orange Cake with a Custard Filling

Allpress roast their own coffee on site twice a week.

The coffee dispensers for take out fresh coffee beans.

Kaffeine, Great Titchfield Street, London was our next call. This is an independent Australian/New Zealand owned cafe in Fitzrovia, just off Oxford Street. It is a tiny coffee shop and very cool. 'Suppose you could say far too cool for us'. Their website says they use a Synesso Cyncra espresso machine which is known as the holy grail of espresso machines. If you like your coffee and latte art, want to sit somewhere that is 'too cool for school' then be sure to check out this tiny coffee shop. 

Beautifully presented latte art - just how I like my coffee

Delicious moist Strawberry Friand

Terrible photograph but it does show I visited Kaffeine!

St David Coffee House, Forest Hill SE23 is possibly the quirkiest coffee shop we have had the pleasure to visit. This coffee shop is also quite small but very cosy and homely too and we were greeted with a warm friendly smile. The background music is played on vinyl and adds a wonderful ambiance to the room. Full to the rafters with vinyl records, old furniture and collectables you can sit back and imagine you are in a bygone era. Weather permitting there are a few tables and chairs outside where you can sit for a while and simply relax......We thought this was a really friendly coffee shop and on this occasion didn't feel like tourists.  Nearly forgot, the lemon drizzle cake was superb.

Lots of time and care is taken to execute a perfect coffee.

The outside of St David Coffee House hiding the outside seating area.

The kilner jar holds free dog bikkies!

Another great coffee shop, and one that is new to Beckenham is Fee & Brown, we visited this too and the Australian barista made us a superb coffee. I think my favourite coffee shop is Monmouth in Borough Market and even though I have never eaten here, the coffee definitely takes some beating.  I like the ambiance, the queues, the frantic pace of Borough, jostling to get a seat, people watching, and their fabulous coffee topped with amazing latte art.

Back soon.