Brief intro… Financiers are small almond flour tea cakes that reportedly were first made by nuns in France in the 1600s. Sometimes baked in a small rectangular mold, they ended up resembling a bar of gold and became popular in Paris’ financial district. (See Source for more info and a photo.)
I first encountered them in NYC in 2008. They were unattractive and unappetizing. I did not buy any. I did not taste them. But now (2024) I have and I regret all the years I missed out on eating/baking these. The crispy toasty brown exterior combines with a soft interior and the almond and Beurre Noisette (brown butter) nutty flavour is fabulous!
They are the easiest treat I have ever made. Google “financiers” and you’ll get 570 million recipe results!! My first run at these is based on a recipe from trusted America’s Test Kitchen (ATK). I had all the ingredients I needed - one of which was egg whites. Whenever I need only egg yolks I freeze the egg whites. They keep well, but I don’t have a lot of recipes that use only egg whites so these accumulate in the freezer. Financiers can now be added to the egg-white list and I’m betting I will make them often. I already made them three days in a row! I was also pleased that I had mini-cupcake baking pans. Don’t ask me why but it was great when I found them at the back of my cupboard!
If you have access to the ATK website they have variations adding raspberries, plums, pistachios, a knob of chocolate and entirely chocolate versions. I haven’t tried any of these yet.
Blogging friend Mardi Michels - an expert in French baking - also offers many variations which I will try soon. She even has a gluten-free version.
Getting Ready - you will need:
unsalted butter
almond flour
sugar and flour
egg whites
a mini-muffin pan - ideally non-stick (one sheet making 24 or two that make 12)
a small cookie scoop comes in handy
baking spray that contains flour (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 F (rack in the middle)
5 TB unsalted butter
This will be the last thing added to the mix but do this first since it should cool down just a wee bit (not a lot). For this process, use a small frypan or saucepan over medium-high heat.
The butter melts and (stirring all the while) you’ll see it go all foamy. Right after that the milk solids begin to brown - making the butter seem a bit “sandy”. The golden colour and nutty fragrance signal when it’s ready (about 2 minutes from the moment when all the butter has melted). This can quickly become burned butter so take care at the end. There are many online videos demo-ing this. Here’s one.
Immediately pour the browned butter into another heat-proof dish. The cooking pan remains hot for a while and the beurre noisette will continue cooking and burn if you leave it in there. :-(
¾ cup (3 oz /85 g) finely ground almond flour
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (4 oz /113 g) sugar)
2 TB all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp table salt
1/3 cup (3 oz /85 g) egg whites, (about 3 large eggs)
Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl - you’ll be able to mix this by hand.
Almond flour can have marble sized lumps so you may want to mix this by hand or with a whisk to get an even mix.
Add the egg whites and mix well with a spatula.
Add the beurre noisette and continue stirring with a spatula. The butter tends to pool at the edges. Keep mixing until the butter is fully incorporated.
Prepare the baking tins by generously spraying them with baking spray that contains flour or simply butter them generously.
Use a small cookie scoop to fill the mini-cupcake tins. I have two (x12) tins and place them in the oven at the same time. Bake at 375 F for 12-14 minutes - rotating the baking pan(s) at the halfway mark. The edges will look dark brown and the tops will be golden. Immediately invert these onto a cooling rack. They should slip out quite easily. Turn the tea cakes upright and let them cool for at least 10 minutes before indulging. (Sadly) these are at their optimal best (crunchy outside and chewy inside) the same day, soon after baking. IF you have any left after baking day, store them in a covered container.
Notes and Tips...
Egg Whites - do you (like me) have more egg whites in the freezer? Try these cookies - Flourless Chocolate Walnut cookies; Italian Amaretti cookies; Coffee Almond GF cookies; Almond Clusters; Coconut Macaroons.
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