Tangerine Friands

Stick a toothpick into the center - if it comes out clean, you're good to pull them out. The recipe gives you a window of 18 to 22 minutes, so start checking around the 18 minute mark since every oven browns a bit differently. You want them golden on top and firm to the touch, not pale and jiggly in the middle.

The recipe calls for canned segments because they're already soft and won't leak too much juice into your batter while baking. If you only have fresh tangerines, just make sure to peel the segments completely, including the thin membrane, and pat them very dry before pressing them onto the batter. Otherwise you risk extra moisture pooling on top and a soggier finish.

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and they'll stay nice and moist for a couple of days thanks to all that brown butter. Just wait until they're completely cool before sealing them up, otherwise you'll trap steam and end up with a soggy top. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving instead of ahead of time, since sugar tends to soak in overnight.

Yes, you can brown your butter a day ahead, strain it, and store it covered in the fridge - just let it come back to room temperature before mixing it into the batter. You can also toast your flaked almonds in advance and keep them in a sealed container. The full batter itself is best made fresh, though, since the egg white loses a bit of its lift the longer it sits.

Overworking the egg white is the big one - the recipe specifically tells you to whisk it lightly with a fork, not beat it stiff, so stick to that or your friands can turn dense instead of tender. The other classic slip is skipping the sieve step after browning the butter, which lets those dark toasted bits end up in your batter. Also make sure your tangerine segments are really well drained before pressing them on, or you'll get soggy spots.