Who said Christmas has gone and dull and not exciting recipes will come. For today, I have prepared a super delicious, not traditionally, but nutty and tasty Financier Dessert! A crispy crust which hides delicate and soft texture with interspersed slightly sticky crumbles of praline.
Who has tried financier ever will get a new eye to some new tips for making it easier.
Why Financier?
I adore cookies and bakeries, so this recipe captured my attention. There are various choices of financier recipe. Berry puree, nuts paste, chocolate chips, or even a combination of them will make some great add-ins for these moist cakes. Any fresh or frozen fruits you have available will nicely and tastily fit.
For today, I skipped the fruits but added almond&hazelnut praline that added a great aroma, caramel flavor, and a delicious final taste. Also, I substituted half of the almond flour with ground praline to give it even a more nutty flavor.
You have to try my version of delicious financier with some of my personal touches.
What is Financier?
Financiers are small French cakes often confused with cookies or tea cakes. Also known as almond cakes, these moist and light cakes usually contain almond flour, crushed or ground almonds, and a lot of icing sugar. Here, the secret is hidden, the icing sugar is responsible for those crispy and a little sticky crust.
The financier is enriched with beurre noisette (also known as hazelnut butter or brown butter), so in the traditional recipe, no additional spices such as vanilla are added.
These almond cakes are usually baked in small rectangular molds, which resemble a gold bar. The story says that financiers became popular in Paris’s financial district – La Bourse du Commerce (formerly called the Paris Stock Exchange).
How to make nuts praline?
Nuts praline is actually just candied nuts. Nuts are toasted with sugar, in a 1:1 ratio, until the sugar melts and form a beautiful brown coating.
For today’s recipe, I have used a mix of hazelnuts and almonds. So on a dry pan, combine ½ cup of almonds, ½ cup of hazelnuts, and 1 cup of sugar. Stirring occasionally, cook until the sugar melts and get brown color. Pour the mixture onto a prepared sheet of parchment paper and let cool completely.
For financier cakes, we will need ground praline. So once it is cooled, break it into pieces, and using a food processor, make praline powder. The praline powder has many uses – as an adds for various bakery treats, as a topping for pies, cheesecakes, ice cream, or even as a filling for homemade chocolate.
How to make Financiers?
Financiers are small buttery and delicious bites. Even though they contain high sugar content, avoiding to eat not too many of them, is simply irresistible. I am always convincing myself they are healthier as they seem, and this is why I could not resist in front of them. These small French almond cakes definitely became my favorites.
An essential thing in financers is brown butter. Thanks to it, the dough’s color gets a little darker color, the crust appears crispy, and the flavor is terrific. I guarantee that even the texture will be different. Put ½ cup of butter in a saucepan and boil until it turns brown and smells like a hazelnut. Once ready, pour it into a bowl, leaving the dark sediments in the saucepan. Set aside to cool a little.
For a traditional recipe, combine browned butter with ⅔ cup of all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup almond flour, and 1 cup of icing sugar in a mixing bowl. As I previously mentioned, I substituted half of the almond flour with praline powder. So this step is of your choice.
Beat three egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently incorporate them into flour&nutty mixture, trying not to overmix.
Spoon the batter into molds and sprinkle every cake with one tablespoon of praline powder. As I told you, traditionally, rectangular molds are used for baking financier, but if you make finance in a round, oval or other shape molds, they will hardly lose from their tase.
Bake financier in preheated oven to 300°F for 30 minutes.
Financier is often served with whipped cream, berries, or fruit, paired with refreshing ice cream.
Absolutely delicious, small sponges texture, buttery and sweet. Nothing beats the aroma and taste like these homemade French financiers.
Authentic French Financier Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup praline powder
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
For Praline:
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- Put ½ cup of butter in a saucepan and boil until it turns brown and smells like a hazelnut. Once ready, pour it into a bowl, leaving the dark sediments in the saucepan. Set aside to cool a little.
- Combine browned butter with 2/3 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup praline powder, and 1 cup of icing sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat three egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently incorporate them into flour&nutty mixture, trying not to overmix.
- Spoon the batter into molds and sprinkle every cake with one tablespoon of praline powder.
- Bake financier in preheated oven to 300°F for 30 minutes.
