Mary Cadogan's Rhubarb Friands

What better way to celebrate the season of promise than with some smart spins on old baking favourites, as well as some new friands?

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   1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the rhubarb into 4cm sticks and arrange in one layer in a nonstick baking tin. Sift over the 2 tbsp icing sugar and bake for 12-15 minutes until the rhubarb is tender. Leave to cool.
   2. Melt the butter and use a little to thinly brush over the base and sides of six nonstick friand or muffin tins. Sift together the icing sugar and flour. Stir in the ground almonds. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl to a loose foam, then fold into the dry mix, followed by the cooled melted butter.
   3. Half fill the tins, add a couple of pieces of rhubarb and cover with the remaining cake mix. Top with the remaining rhubarb. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out, running a knife around the edgeif necessary, and cool on a wire rack. Dust lightly with icing sugar.