Financiers

Name: Financiers
Ingredients: 80 g almonds; 40 g flour; 100 g powdered sugar; 100 g butter; 3 egg whites; zest of 1 lemon

Financiers are French almond pastries made with almonds, flour, powdered sugar, butter, and egg whites. This type of baked good uses what's called "brown butter" (beurre noisette) — butter that's melted in a saucepan until it develops a distinctive nutty aroma and a light brown sediment, which gives the pastries an extra layer of flavor. Although financiers may look like cupcakes or muffins at first glance, they taste completely different. I would say financiers are more like a delicate almond cake with a delightfully crisp crust. The texture is tender, moist, light, and crumbly, and the aroma is a lovely nuttiness. I also added lemon zest, which made the fragrance of the pastries even better. Overall, financiers turn out absolutely delicious — I highly recommend giving them a try. This recipe made 6 pieces, 7 cm in diameter and 3–4 cm tall.

Ingredients:

80 g almonds
40 g flour
100 g powdered sugar
100 g butter
3 egg whites
zest of 1 lemon

How to cook financiers

Make the brown butter. Place the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and set it over the heat to melt.

Cook over medium heat for about 5–7 minutes, until you detect a light nutty aroma and small brown sediment begins to appear on the bottom of the pan (watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn). Remove from heat and let cool.

Zest the lemon using a fine grater, taking care not to grate into the white pith.

Grind the almonds in a food chopper or food processor until finely crumbled.

Combine the almonds, flour, powdered sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl.

Stir to combine.

Add the egg whites (no need to whip them) and mix well until smooth.

Pour the brown butter through a fine strainer to catch the brown sediment, then stir it into the batter.

Grease the molds well with butter (I used silicone molds; metal ones also work great). Fill the molds with the batter and bake in an oven preheated to 220°C for about 20–25 minutes.

The pastries should come out a deep golden brown — that's when the nutty crust is at its most delicious. Carefully remove from the molds and let cool completely.