Peach, pistachio and ricotta friands

Step 1

Heat oven 200C/fan 180C/gas Lightly butter a 6-hole friand tin or regular-sized muffin tin. Mix the ricotta with the vanilla, lemon zest and 1 tbsp icing sugar until smooth. Roughly chop 20g of pistachios.

Step 2

Put the remaining 30g pistachios in a mini food processor with the flour and pulse until very finely ground, like your almonds. Mix with the almonds and icing sugar in a big mixing bowl.

Step 3

Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until you get a light foam. Tip this into the dry ingredients with the melted butter and gently stir together. Divide the batter between the friand holes, then, working quickly, top each with a spoonful of the ricotta mixture. Add a slice of peach to the top of each, a sprinkling of chopped pistachios, and a dusting of icing sugar. Bake for 20-23 minutes until they have risen and are golden – if you check with a skewer you’ll probably hit the molten ricotta, so check round the edges instead.

Step 4

Cool for 10 minutes in the tins, then lift out onto a cooling rack.