Grape and Olive Oil Friands with Caramelized Rosemary
I don't know what drove me to come up with a grape-recipe in April, but it must have had something to do with the fact that I desperately felt like baking with fruits and there was nothing else in sight that sparked my interest. I went to the shop around the corner to find some inspiration, but there were just a few tiny baskets of unripe strawberries, I spotted plump blueberries, which seem to have become available all year round, and some very delicate - and artificial - looking raspberries. I didn't get excited by any of them.
I usually try to follow the (local) seasons, but there was a bag full of South African grapes that seemed to fit perfectly to the bunch of rosemary that I had already picked. So they became the main flavours for my French olive oil friands. If we leave out the fact that it's not the fruit's season in the northern hemisphere where I live, it's a cozy sweet treat that is just right when the weather is too moody to go outside, or there's too much work on the desk, and you're forced to stay inside. A nibble of this aromatic beauty and the world looks much nicer again.
In case you've never heard of friands before - I must admit I was one of them - they are sumptuous small cakes, a patisserie classic. They look similar to muffins but the texture is actually more fine and delicate. They are made with ground almonds and just a little flour, and a generous amount of beaten egg white that helps the batter to rise instead of baking powder or baking soda. Traditionally made with melted butter, I just followed my mood and replaced the dairy product with mild olive oil. It was a good choice, especially in combination with the sweet fruit and fragrant herb.
Grape and Olive Oil Friands with Caramelized Rosemary
Makes 12 friands (in a muffin pan)
For the friands
organic egg whites 6
fine sea salt 1/8 teaspoon
granulated sugar 180g / 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons
ground almonds (or hazelnuts) 200g / 1 2/3 cups
plain flour 80g / 2/3 cup
freshly grated orange zest 2 teaspoons
mild olive oil 140ml / 2/3 cup
small dark grapes, preferably seedless (or seeds removed), 36 (3 grapes for each friand)
icing sugar, for the topping
For the caramelized rosemary
granulated sugar 3 tablespoons
water 2 tablespoons
the tips of 12 sprigs of rosemary (with about 4-5 needles each)
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (conventional setting). Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with olive oil, dust with a little flour, and place in the fridge. Cut 12 circles of parchment paper, large enough for the bottom of each muffin cup; set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar for about 1 minute until it forms soft peaks.
In a second, large bowl, combine the remaining sugar, ground almonds, flour, and orange zest. In alternating batches, fold in the beaten egg whites and the olive oil, about 1/3 at a time. Stir gently until just combined.
Take the muffin pan out of the fridge, lay 1 parchment circle into each muffin cup, and divide the batter between the cups. Place 3 grapes on top of the batter in each muffin cup and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the friands cool for a few minutes, then, using a small sharp knife, cut along the sides of the muffin cups and lift the friands out of the muffin pan. Remove the parchment paper.
For the caramelized rosemary, place a piece of parchment paper on the counter top. In a small, heavy pan, heat the sugar and water on high heat, without stirring. When the sugar is golden and caramelized, stir in the rosemary until coated in caramel and transfer to the parchment paper. Let it cool for a few minutes before you peel it off the parchment paper.
Dust the friands with icing sugar and garnish with the caramelized rosemary. They taste best on the first day.
Camembert, Dark Grape and Candied Rosemary Sandwich
Sometimes cheese can be quite challenging, especially its fragrance. This can be a bit of a hurdle despite its delicious qualities, an obstacle to get over to be able to finally enjoy this treat. There is a simple camembert lying in my fridge at the moment which I like to buy once in a while, it's nothing special, it's neither organic nor from a small farmer in the French countryside, but I love it. It's honest, creamy and very, very aromatic, and unfortunately, it stinks so much that it takes days to get the smell out of our fridge again. I can take a lot when it comes to cheese, my nose has seen and smelt the whole range of the world of cheese. One of the prettiest cheese shops I've been to was in Paris, dedicated to the wonders of dairy milk, the display and fragrance in this room was impressive! But the odor of my little camembert in the fridge tops everything, it's borderline. I always ask myself twice if I really want to put myself, the fridge and my close environment through this attack on the nose.
A sandwich came to mind, and obviously, my little French dairy friend asks for strong partners, red wine of course, but also fruits, herbs, spices or chutney. Although it's not the right time for grapes yet, I couldn't resist buying the crisp dark South African fruits I spotted at the market. Their plump juiciness manages to balance out the sharpest cheese. So I wanted more of that sweetness, candied rosemary needles, sticky and crunchy, to get the camembert under control. It worked!
This sandwich puts you right in the scene of a summery picnic in the French countryside, a blanket spread on a green meadow next to a wide river, a bottle of wine, maybe a crisp bean and ramp quiche and a bowl of spinach, strawberry and goat cheese salad. This is the picture I remember when I think of one of my weekend trips to Alsace many years ago, I just close my eyes, take a bite of my camembert sandwich and I'm right there!
Camembert, Dark Grape and Candied Rosemary Sandwich
For 2 large sandwiches you need
crunchy white buns (or fresh baguette), cut in half, 2
ripe camembert, cut into slices, 200g / 7 ounces
dark seedless grapes, cut in half, a small handful
rosemary needles 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar 2 tablespoons
water 2 tablespoons
Divide the cheese between the 2 buns and lay the grapes on top.
In a small pan, heat the sugar and water on high temperature. When it turns golden add the rosemary, stir quickly and caramelize for a few seconds, mind that it doesn't burn. Transfer the candied herb immediately onto the sandwich. Use 2 forks, you have to do this while the syrup is still liquid, it becomes sticky and hard very quick. If you can't get the rosemary out, put the pan back on the heat.
Enjoy!
