Best Financiers Recipes

TOASTED ALMOND-COCONUT FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup mini-muffin tin.
• On a rimmed baking sheet, spread out the coconut and almond flour, side by side. Toast until both are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through and keeping a close watch at the end. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
• Use your fingertips to grind the coconut with the almond flour to break it down into small pieces. Add the sugar, flour and salt, and whisk to combine.
• Whisk in the egg whites and almond extract, then the melted butter.
• Divide the batter evenly among the greased cups. (A small cookie scoop makes easy work of this task.) Tap the pan on the countertop to smooth the tops.
• Bake until the cakes spring back when pressed gently in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Pop them out of the tin, using a small offset spatula or knife to loosen the edges if needed, and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
• Melt the chocolate and oil together in a small bowl in short, 10-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate and oil over a double boiler on the stove.)
• Dip half of each financier in the chocolate and set on a rack until set, at least 30 minutes.

FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almond flour evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and raise heat to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl with browned bits. Let cool.
• Combine flours and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Add whites, and beat on medium speed until combined and sugar is incorporated. With machine running, pour in browned butter (with brown bits) in a slow, steady stream. Continue to beat for 3 minutes. Batter can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Coat a cast-iron pan with oil or cooking spray, and fill halfway with batter. Bake until dark gold (time will vary depending on size of pan). Remove from oven, and immediately transfer financiers from pan to a wire rack. Let cool. Coat each with glaze if desired, or serve immediately.

PEACH FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously butter a 12-muffin mini-muffin tin. Add a pinch of flour to each cup; shake to coat bottoms.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The melted butter will get foamy. Keep pan moving to prevent burning, but continue toasting butter until it turns golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk egg whites and sugar together in a large bowl. Whisk until sugar dissolves and egg whites get thick and foamy, 2 or 3 minutes. Mix in almond meal, flour, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in browned butter.
• Fill muffin cups almost to the cop. Tap pan to eliminate any air bubbles.
• Bake 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and top financiers with small pieces of peach. Transfer pan back to oven. Continue baking until browned, 10 to 12 more minutes.
• Let cool at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

BROWN BUTTER PISTACHIO AND POPPY SEED FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with 8 paper liners or a mini-muffin tin with 24 paper liners, or use silicone muffin molds; set aside.
• Using a coffee or spice grinder, grind pistachios into a fine powder; set aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until light brown in color; remove from heat. Add cardamom pods and vanilla bean and seeds; let stand for 10 minutes. Strain butter; discard solids and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together pistachio powder, rice flour, cane sugar, poppy seeds, and salt. Beat in egg whites until smooth; quickly stir in melted butter. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (use 1 heaping teaspoon batter per mini, if using) and transfer to oven; bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes for standard size and 12 to 14 minutes for mini. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

PEAR FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Make the browned butter: Melt 1 stick butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until it begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns golden and smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Whisk both flours, 1/2 cup brown sugar and the salt in a medium bowl. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form; stir in the vanilla. Fold in the browned butter and the dry ingredients, then cover the batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter a 12-cup muffin pan. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and combine in a large bowl with the pears and remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar; toss. Divide the batter among the muffin cups; top each with 3 pear slices. Bake until puffed and golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

BROWN BUTTER COCONUT FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 30 mini muffin tins.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the milk solids fall to bottom of pan and become a rich brown, about 5 minutes. Strain brown butter through a mesh sieve into bowl. Stir in coconut oil and reserve.
• In a food processor, process unsweetened coconut until very fine. Transfer to a bowl. Sift in sugar, flour and salt. Using a spatula, fold in egg whites (no need to beat them first) and rum until batter is moistened. Slowly mix in brown butter mixture until well combined.
• Spoon batter into tins and sprinkle tops with shredded sweetened coconut, separating any clumps with your fingers. Bake, rotating pans several times, until edges are dark brown and tops are golden, 20 to 24 minutes. Cool on rack for 5 minutes and pop out financiers onto rack.

FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• In a bowl, sift together the almond powder, powdered sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, using a whisk or handheld mixer, beat the whites until stiff peaks form. (Or, use a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment.)
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer or a wooden spoon and some stamina), beat the butter until creamy and soft. Add the egg yolks, ne at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the almond extract. Then add the dry ingredients, beating just until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be a bit stiff. On low speed, slowly add half of the whipped whites, mixing just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whites.
• Spoon the mixture into the molds. You want the batter in each mold to be 1 to 1 1/2 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) deep. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the center is bouncy. If you stick it with a knife, it will always be greasy. The best way to test is to press the center with your finger. If it bounces back rather than sinks, it's ready. If you are using paper molds, leave and serve. If you are using metal molds, remove the cakes from the molds and let cool on wire racks. Serve at room temperature.
• Substitute hazelnut powder for the almond powder. You need to toast the hazelnut powder before using it. Spread it on a rimmed baking sheet, place in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven, and set the timer for 5 minutes so you don't forget about it. Stir it with fork occasionally so it toasts evenly. It is ready when it smells like a Belgian chocolate store. Pour it into a bowl and let it cool completely before using, then sift with the other ingredients as directed in the recipe. This version is delicious with a few apricot halves gently pushed into the top of the cake batter before baking.
• When the big Italian grapes arrive in the market in their foam-padded wooden crates, it's an exciting time. Press them into the cake batter before baking, just like the apricots above.
• Simmer thick orange slices in simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water; dissolve the sugar in the water) for 1 hour. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) Irish whiskey to the batter with the almond extract, and press the orange slices into the top of the cake batter before baking.
• Whisk 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter into the batter before adding the egg yolks. Sink 15 red candied peanuts (French burnt peanuts) into the top of each cake before baking.
• Whisk 2 tablespoons pistachio paste into the batter before adding the egg yolks. Dust the top of the cake batter with chopped pistachios before baking.
• Peel, halve, and core apples. Place cut side up on a small baking sheet, top each half with a pat of unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon sugar, and bake in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 15 minutes, or until browned and puffy. Gently press an apple half, rounded side down, into the top of each cake before baking.
• Take a handful of bold-colored, sugar-coated almonds and crush them with a rolling pin. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) Strega, anisette, or alkermes (sometimes spelled alchermes, a typical Tuscan liqueur) to the batter with the almond extract. Dust the top of the cake batter with the crushed almonds before baking.

CHOCOLATE FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a financier mold (tops of mold should measure approximately 1 7/8 by 3 * inches), madeleine mold or small muffin tin with vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet. If you use individual molds, you'll need 14.
• Melt the butter over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it turns amber and smells nutty; keep warm. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat and keep warm. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Set both the pod and seeds aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the sugar and flour. Add the almonds and pistachios and mix with a wooden spoon. Add the egg whites, vanilla pod and seeds and stir vigorously. Strain a quarter of the warm butter over the mixture and stir to combine. Strain in the remaining butter and mix well; then stir in the melted chocolate.
• Let the batter cool to room temperature. Remove the vanilla pod. (The batter will hold in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
• Pour the batter almost to the top of the molds. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes; rotate the pan after 6 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet and then transfer from the mold to a baking rack.

RASPBERRY-ALMOND FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat mini muffin tins with cooking spray.
• Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Add honey, and whisk until combined. Remove from heat.
• Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine almonds, sugars, flour, and salt on low speed. Raise speed to medium-high, and add egg whites, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low, and add warm butter-honey mixture in a slow, steady stream. Raise speed to high, and beat for 45 seconds.
• Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each halfway. Spoon a scant 1/2 teaspoon raspberry puree near one edge of each cup. Draw a skewer or the tip of a paring knife through puree toward opposite edge of cup to form a heart shape.
• Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until edges are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly in tins on wire racks. Using a small offset spatula, carefully unmold financiers, and transfer to rack. Financiers are best served warm or the same day they are baked, but they can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 days. If desired, serve or package financiers in decorative paper liners.

GLUTEN FREE FINANCIERS

Steps:

• 1. Melt the butter, let cool, then preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F
• 2. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with the sugar until just foamy
• 3. Add the cooled melted butter, almond flour and cornstarch
• 4. Pour the batter into financiers tins or mini cake tins (the batter should be only about 1/2 inch high in the form), muffin tins are also possible, as long as the batter doesn't fill more than about 1/2 inch of the tins
• 5. Bake for about 12 minutes, but watch well, if they brown too quickly, remove them from the oven earlier!
• 6. Let cool until you can get them out without breaking them. Eat warm or let cool completely on a rack.

HAZELNUT FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush 24 cups of mini tart pans with butter; dust lightly with flour, tapping out excess. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When it begins to sizzle, reduce heat to medium. Cook, swirling skillet occasionally, until butter is browned and fragrant. Skim foam from top, leaving liquid butter behind; remove from heat and let cool.
• Whisk to combine flour, ground hazelnuts, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add egg whites, and whisk until smooth. Stir in brandy. Pour in cooled butter, leaving any dark brown sediment in skillet; whisk to combine. Let batter stand at room temperature 20 minutes or, covered, up to 1 day.
• Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of batter into each prepared cup, filling each about two-thirds full. Place pans on baking sheets and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 13 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes before unmolding.
• Heat jam in a small saucepan over medium, stirring, until melted. Let cool 5 minutes, then brush some over each cake. Place 1 hazelnut on top. Cookies are best served the same day they are baked.

HAZELNUT AND BUCKWHEAT FINANCIERS WITH FIGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast hazelnuts on a large rimmed baking sheet until skins are slightly darkened and split, 12-15 minutes. Let cool, then bundle in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove skins (there will definitely be some stubborn pieces that refuse to come off-do what you can). Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Whisk hazelnuts, powdered sugar, buckwheat flour, and salt in a medium bowl to combine.
• Cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it foams, then browns (be careful not to let it burn), 5-7 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Whisk egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy (you're not trying to create volume; you just want to break them up), then whisk into dry ingredients. Whisk in brown butter. Cover and chill batter until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Reheat oven to 350°F. Generously coat six 4-oz. fluted financier molds or a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Divide batter among molds (use about 1/3 cup batter per mold, or 2 mounded Tbsp. if using a muffin pan). Top with figs (if using) and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake until tops are browned and edges are firm, 20-25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let financiers cool 10 minutes in pans before turning out onto racks. Let cool completely.
• Batter can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

HONEY-HAZELNUT FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Butter eight 3x2" mini loaf pans or a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Toast 1 cup hazelnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool (do not remove skins). Pulse hazelnuts, flour, and salt in a food processor until finely ground.
• Place 10 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add pod. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns (do not let burn), 5-8 minutes. Discard pod and scrape vanilla butter into a medium bowl. Whisk in honey.
• Increase oven heat to 400°. Whisk egg whites in a large bowl just to break up, add brown sugar, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Fold in dry ingredients in 2 additions, then fold in butter mixture just until smooth.
• Coarsely chop remaining 1/4 cup hazelnuts. Scrape batter into pans and top with hazelnuts. Bake financiers until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes for loaves, 10-15 for muffins. Let cool 5 minutes in pans, then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
• DO AHEAD: Financiers can be made 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

FIG-HAZELNUT FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter, letting it cook until it turns nut brown and smells toasted, about 5 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool. (Do not scrape up any black bits from the bottom of the pot.)
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, hazelnut flour, all-purpose flour and salt. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and set on low speed (or use a whisk and a strong arm), beat in egg whites until flour mixture is damp. Add butter and beat on medium-high speed (or vigorously by hand) until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. At this point, the batter can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
• Trim stems off figs and slice each one crosswise into 3 rounds; you will have 9 fig rounds.
• Butter and flour nine 1/2-cup muffin cups. Divide batter between cups and top each with a slice of fig. Bake until financiers are golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before unmolding.

ORANGE GLAZE FOR MADELEINES AND FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Pour over cakes. Glaze can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature, and whisk before using.

FINANCIERS OR ALMOND-BROWNED BUTTER CAKES

Steps:

• heat oven to 375/ spray 24 small muffin cups w/cooking spray generously
• melt butter in skillet on medium high temp until milk solids are dark golden - 1-3 minutes and immediately place into heat proof bowl
• whisk almond flour, sugar, flour, & salt in a bowl. Add egg whites. using a spatula and stir until combined, mashing lumps against the side of the bowl
• Stir in butter until incorporated
• distribute evenly amongst the cups about half full
• 14 minutes, mostly little longer rotating half way thru
• immediately invert cups onto a rack and turn cakes right side up

CHOCOLATE FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, place the icing sugar and almond powder in the bowl, then work in the inverted sugar. Add the egg whites, the butter, the vnilla and the flour, sifted with cocoa and baking pwoder. Allow the mixture to rest in teh firdge for about 2 hours.
• Pipe into buttered special small financiers moulds or the "Flexipan" tray designed for petit fours sized financiers. Bake in a fan forced oven at 210C for about 12 minutes.

HONEY-HAZELNUT FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Butter eight 3x2" mini loaf pans or a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Toast 1 cup hazelnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool (do not remove skins). Pulse hazelnuts, flour, and salt in a food processor until finely ground.
• Place 10 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add pod. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns (do not let burn), 5-8 minutes. Discard pod and scrape vanilla butter into a medium bowl. Whisk in honey.
• Increase oven heat to 400°. Whisk egg whites in a large bowl just to break up, add brown sugar, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Fold in dry ingredients in 2 additions, then fold in butter mixture just until smooth.
• Coarsely chop remaining ¼ cup hazelnuts. Scrape batter into pans and top with hazelnuts. Bake financiers until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes for loaves, 10-15 for muffins. Let cool 5 minutes in pans, then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
• DO AHEAD: Financiers can be made 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Continue to cook, watching closely, until the milk solids turn brown. Be very careful, as they will turn from brown to black-burnt in a split second.
• Mix almonds and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add egg whites and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When the mixture is runny, slightly opaque and hot (about 2 minutes), remove from heat and stir in flour. Add melted butter slowly. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap (press plastic against surface of batter), and chill at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 400°F Butter 12 financier molds or 12 mini-muffin cups, dust with flour, and discard excess (or use butter-and-flour baking spray). If using individual molds, line them up on a cookie sheet.
• Fill each mold/cup almost full (about 3 tbsp each). Bake for 13 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. Cool a few minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.