Preheat oven to 200C.
Place butter in a saucepan and set over medium heat to melt. Once melted, add 2 sprigs thyme and continue to heat until the butter foams and turns a nut brown colour. Remove from heat and set in the fridge to cool.
Strain cooled butter and place 200 grams of it into a bowl. Add caster sugar and stir to combine. Add flour, almond meal, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine. Lightly whisk the egg whites until fluffy. Add to the butter mixture and fold in.
Brush a friand or muffin pan with the remaining infused butter. Fill pan with mixture. Place a raspberry in each friand and place in the oven to bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool, turning out of pan after a couple of minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the apricot and thyme glaze, place the apricot jam, 2 tbsp water and 1 sprig thyme in a saucepan and set over medium heat. Allow to simmer until jam has dissolved and a thick, syrupy texture is reached. Remove from heat and brush over the cooled friands.
To make the raspberry crème fraiche, place crème fraiche and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk to stiff peaks. Reserve 12 raspberries for garnish and mash remaining with 1 tbsp apricot glaze. Stir mashed raspberries and vanilla paste through the crème fraiche.
Serve friands garnished with raspberries and thyme tips and with raspberry crème fraiche on the side.

MasterChef

Burnt Butter Friands with Thyme and Raspberry