A patisserie staple, almond financiers are a favorite and a treat that is easily made at home. These buttery little cakes deceive. Their delicately crisp texture hides a melting crumb of deliciousness. Yes, I have my weaknesses, and these are among them.

Almond Financier crumb

 

Blanched almond flour softens the crumb in these tender cakes. Browned butter gives them their rich flavor and melt-in-the mouth quality. If you’ve never made browned butter before, give it a try.  You might find yourself using it in many of your cookie and cake recipes. Letting the batter rests for at least 4 hours before baking helps relax any gluten protein that develops in the batter during mixing.

Pastry chefs bake almond financiers in specially designed shallow molds. You can use mini muffin tins instead.  Be sure to grease the molds well because the batter could stick.  (You can also dust the molds lightly with fine dry breadcrumbs.)

Buttering Financiers mold

Filling financier mold with batter(1)

Although I like them plain, financiers are often garnished with sliced almonds.  You can also tuck slices of figs, apricots, sliced strawberries or raspberries into the batter. After baking, remove the cakes from the mold and let them cool on a wire rack.  Eat them as fresh from the oven as possible.  They keep for several days at room temperature or a month when stored tightly sealed in the freezer.  I like to reheat them to restore the crunchy crust before serving them.

Kitchen Notebook

Financier means banker in French. These cakes were so named because they resemble miniature gold ingots, stock and trade in the world of finance once upon a time. If you’d like to order the molds, you can find them at PastryChef.com.

This recipe is adapted from On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, 4th edition, our latest edition in the award-winning textbook series I co-author.

Almond Financiers

Yield: 20 cakes, 3 x 4 inches

Almond Financiers

Ingredients

1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter

2 cups (230 grams) powdered sugar

1 cup (100 grams) almond flour, sifted

1 1/3 cups (100 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted

8 large egg whites (240 grams)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

Melted butter for the molds

Fresh figs, sliced, optional

Sliced blanched almonds, as needed for garnish

Directions

  1. Simmer the butter in a small saucepan until it turns a nutty brown, for approximately 5–8 minutes. Strain it through cheesecloth and set the browned butter aside.
  2. Combine the powdered sugar, almond flour and all-purpose flour in a bowl with a whisk.
  3. Using a spatula, stir the egg whites into the sugar and flour mixture adding a small amount at a time and blending well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla, salt and baking powder.
  4. Stir in the browned butter and blend well. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. (The batter may be frozen and then thawed before baking.)
  5. Brush financier molds or 2 dozen mini muffin tins with melted butter. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  6. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the batter into the molds. Tuck thin slices of the fresh figs, if using into the batter. Or sprinkle with the sliced almonds, if using.
  7. Bake until the cakes are light and evenly golden, and they bounce back when lightly pressed in the center, for approximately 15–17 minutes.