A small French cake, similar to a Madeleine that is baked in a small rectangular mold. Financiers are sweet, tender and moist, and have a distinctive almond flavor. The basis of the cake is beurre noisette (brown butter), egg whites, sugar, flour, and flavoring. The browned butter imparts a lovely nutty flavor and crispy edge.
Financiers were developed in Paris in 1890 by pastry chef Lasne at his store close to the Paris Stock Exchange. Lasne’s clients were mostly brokers who were rich and always in a hurry and needed something quick and easy to consume without any utensils or mess. Financiers are as rich as their name-sake bankers. The name financier is said to have been derived from the traditional rectangular mold which resembles a bar of gold. While rectangular shapes are common in France, other shapes are not uncommon.
While I prefer Financiers topped with powdered sugar, some like to serve them with fresh fruit, whipped cream or ganache. Here’s how to make these incredible little gems.
Begin by melting 14 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Let the butter bubble, whisking a couple of times during the process to ensure that the butter melts and browns evenly. Let the butter cook until it turns light golden brown. Immediately remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, sift together the granulated sugar, almond flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder, then whisk until they are evenly combined.
Whisk in the egg whites and vanilla until just combined. Pour in the hot butter and whisk until everything is fully combined.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight to allow the flour to relax. Pour the chilled batter into the desired buttered mold or use muffin papers. Here I used a mini-muffin cup and also a medium sized muffin cup.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake mini muffin cups for approximately 13 minutes. If using a regular sized muffin cup, bake approximately 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Serve as desired.
- 14 Tablespoons unsalted butter (one stick and 6 Tablespoons)
- 1 cup plus 2 teaspoons almond flour
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 7 large egg whites
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Confections' sugar for dusting
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Let it bubble and cook until it turns light golden brown. Whisk a couple of times during the process to ensure that all the butter melts and browns evenly. Once it reaches the desired light brown color, immediately remove from the heat.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the granulated sugar, almond flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder, then whisk until they are evenly combined. Whisk in the egg whites and vanilla until just combined. Pour in the hot butter and whisk until everything is fully combined. If you wish, transfer the batter to a large measuring cup (which makes it easier to pour into the mold), or leave in the bowl; cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the flour to relax.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a silicone Financier mold with nonstick cooking spray or line a mini muffin pan with paper baking cups.
- Stir the batter, then pour just enough of it to
fil the individual molds or muffin cups three-quarters full. Baking time will vary depending on the size of the mold. For this recipe, a mini muffin cup was used and baking time was 13 minutes. You will know the Financiers are ready when they turn light golden brown, spring back when you lightly press on them, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven; cool completely in the mold, then store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days. Dust with confections' sugar before serving. - Recipe from Payard Cookies
