Financiers are little sponge cakes made with almond flour. They are traditionally baked in small moulds that are small rectangular loaves. The shape resembles the silhouette of a gold bar. In fact, their name is said to derive from there. It is also believed that the financier was popular in the financial district of Paris near the stock exchange zone, as the cake could easily be kept in the pocket for long periods without being damaged. They are really easy to make and you can use any small mould you have in your kitchen. I like adding raspberries but they other type of fruits also go amazingly, specially berries. I always bake small batches as I like eating them fresh but they can also be stored in the freezer for several months.
Recipe
How much time do you need?
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Material:
Medium mixing bowl
Spatulas
Financiers mold
Kitchen scale
Small sauce pan
Kitchen essential tools
Silicone brush
Sieve
Whisker or electric mixer
Ingredients (makes 6):
130g powdered sugar
40g plain flour
60g almond flour
4g baking powder
70g unsalted butter
4 egg whites
12 raspberries
Sliced almonds for decoration
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C fan forced (or 170°C standard oven).
In a small sauce pan melt the butter until it has attained a nice brown colour. Be careful not to burn it. I prefer to use European style butters for all French pastries I bake, higher fat content, which gives a better final product. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. You can reserve the egg yolks al prepare other types of pastries like coconut bites. In a medium mixing bowl add the almond flour, the flour, the baking powder and powdered sugar and sieve. Mix to combine.
Mix the egg whites in a small mixing bowl for 1 minute. Add the egg whites to the mixing bowl with the dried ingredients and whisk until they come together and form a smooth batter. Incorporate the brown butter to the batter and using a spatula bring the ingredients together by gently whisking. It will come together in a minute or so. Butter your moulds using melted butter and a silicone brush.
Financiers mould: any muffin, madeleine, little cakes mould will work just fine as well
Fill the moulds with the financier batter up to three quarters. Leave a space between the rim of the mould and the batter as the cakes will raise.
Add 4 raspberries to each financier arranged in two spots, one on top of the other. If you put only one, the batter will raise and engulf the raspberry and it won’t be visible in the final product. Gently press them down.
If the berries are too big, use only one. Monitor the baking process and at about 15 minutes, take them out, add one more berry on top of the other ones, press gently, and bake for 5-10min more until golden in the edges. Be quick here!
Add some sliced almonds on top of every financier for decoration. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until nice and golden in the edges. Let them cool in a cooling rack for 5 minutes before taking them out of the moulds. Dust some powder sugar on top to decorate.
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