Financiers with Raspberries
Financiers count among the biggest wonders in the world of pastry. Few ingredients, simple preparation and marvellous, sophisticated result. I have already written about them quite a long time ago (here), but this new summer fruit version turned out so good, I absolutely wanted to share it with you. As I have written in my old post, Financiers are one of the most famous French pastry items and a pure delight for almond fans. They contain almost no flour, but mainly butter, powdered almonds, egg whites and sugar, so you can imagine how intense the almond taste is.
Baked since the Middle Ages by French nuns of the Visitation of Mary, at first they were not called financiers and had an oval form. Then, for a certain time they were forgotten and around 1890, Lasne, a Parisian confectioner, revived the recipe. Since his shop was close to the stock market and financiers were his regular clients, he named the cakes “financiers” and transformed their form into the one recalling a gold ingot, probably thinking they appealed more to his clients. I usually make my financiers in muffin forms, but this time somehow the rectangular shape seemed more appropriate.
Financiers have different versions and raspberry addition seems quite popular, especially in the summer. When I decided to add the fruits I was worried that their acidity might spoil the perfect harmony of the Financiers. Luckily I was wrong. Raspberries bring a subtle tangy note, but they disturb neither the Financiers’ extremely soft, mouth-melting consitency nor their sophisticated taste. I encourage everyone to try this version before raspberries disappear from market stalls.
My recipe comes from Leçons de cuisine de l’école Ritz-Escoffier . The only thing I have modified is the sugar amount (70 g instead of the original 85g).
TIPS: Financiers are very easy to prepare and are an excellent occasion to use up egg whites. Finding powdered (not only ground) almonds might be difficult. I always buy ground almonds and sift them through a sieve. The leftover, big bits of ground almonds are excellent to prepare the even easier Thumbprint Almond Cookies (see the recipe here) or Kings’ Pie (Galette des Rois), which is also a good way to use up two yolks, leftover from this small batch of Financiers…
Click here for some ideas of using the remaining egg yolks.
The only tricky part is taking the financiers out of the forms. They should be cold and handled delicately.
Preparation: 30 minutes
Ingredients (for 6 muffin forms or rectangular, similarly sized forms or 12 mini-muffin shaped forms):
50 g (about 1,8 oz) powdered almonds
70 g (about 2,5 oz) sugar
50 g (about 1,8 oz) butter
2 egg whites
1 heaped tablespoon flour
a pinch of salt
12 raspberries
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Prepare the “beurre noisette” (lit. hazelnut butter): heat the butter in a pan on a low heat and observe the milk solids, which will separate at the bottom. When they become light brown (hazelnut colour), put the pan aside.
Combine the egg whites, the sugar, the almond powder, the pinch of salt and the flour in a big bowl. Add gradually the butter, mixing with a spoon.
Pour the mixture into greased – with butter – muffin or rectangular forms (or other small cakes forms) 2/3 of their height.
Place two raspberries in each financier.
Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes until golden.
Let them cool down before taking out of the forms.
Thank heavens you suggested muffin tins because I can NOT go out and spend money on the special forms for these. But I DO want to make them one day. 🙂 Especially with the raspberries inside.
So yummy.
Thanks, A_Boleyn. They can be made in any tins, as long as they aren’t too big or too small (then the baking time should be modified), more or less muffin sized. They are surprisingly easy (not kneading, no egg white beating etc.). I hope you try making them one day.
I ran across the recipe for financiers when I was researching madeleines and then again when I had ground almonds in my freezer which I intended to use in the Maids of Honor tarts. I eventually used them in a failed batch of macarons. So many uses for ground almonds including as filling in rugelach and in the drink horchata. 🙂
By the way, it was making the browned butter (beurre noisette) that scared me off from making them at the end.
Beurre noisette has a wonderful aroma. Very surprising. You should try financiers because they are very easy and quick (and of course good).
Hurray! Raspberries are beginning their “end of summer” fruits and voila! You post a recipe!
Thank you, Mary Jane. Now we start having the late, very dark variety I love.
the financiers look so cute with the 2 raspeberries in the rectangle shape. I haven’t tried financiers before, the recipe look so easy, must try it one day when i have extra egg whites. do you think it’s possible to omit the flour altogether?
Thank you so much, Shannon. I think you can experiment and omit the flour, but I’m sure the texture will be slightly altered.
I love the shape. I think of dominoes. I’m getting ideas 🙂
Haven’t had this for awhile. And I’ve almost always end up with leftover egg yolks.
Thanks for all the suggestions to use them up. I definitely will be checking them out.
Thank you very much, Ping. I really would have never thought of dominoes… but you are right! I hope you will find yolks using ideas helpful. Please let me know if you need any help or explanation.
You know I am a ground almond fan Sissi, these must have been divine! I like the raspberry addition too. Yum.
Thanks a lot, Zsuzsa. They are divine indeed, but I must admit my husband is a bigger fan of almonds than me.
These look lovely and since I’ve just been given some mini loaf tins I think I’ll have a go making them in those. GG
Thank you so much, GG. Good luck!
Must be a wonderful afternoon snack, Sissi! From my vantage point, the texture looks very soft, doesn’t it? I love reading the dish’s history lesson from you. Not only we are getting delicious food but it comes with history as well, so thank you. Have a good weekend, my friend! 🙂
Thank you so much, Ray. It’s a very soft, mouth-melting texture, probably because there is almost no flour.
I have to agree with Ping…the cute shape with the raspberries peaking through do remind you of a domino…although I would consider myself a very lucky winner to have your financiers instead of plastic dominos in front of me.
Hi, Karen. Thank you for kind words. As I told Ping, I would have never thought of dominoes.
These financiers look amazing. I love how you added some fruit to lighten them up.
Thank you, Kyleen.
I’ve never heard of Financiers before Sissi, but they sounds tasty to me. Thanks for the introduction. 🙂
Thanks, Jed. They are very popular in France and so easy to prepare. If you like almonds, you should try making them one day.
I had no idea what a financier was. I had heard of them but that’s about all. I do love this little pastries. The touch of flour intrigues me because they look like they have a lot more than called for. I have egg whites in the fridge on several occasions, so this is a great use for them. I think this is a pastry that we would love!
Thank you very much, MJ. The tiny amount of flour is probably to keep them better together, but they are extremely soft and light because of the powdered almonds instead of the flour. I hope you will try making them one day. They are so quick and easy, the best way I know to use up egg whites.
I’ve never heard of Financiers and neither has my husband! (and we both grew up in Quebec and have spent time in Paris… how odd!) – I’m delighted to learn about these little delicious looking cakes. I like that they are made from a base of almond and the rectangular shape is fabulous Sissi! (I will have to fashion some kind of rectangular mould for these as making them in muffin cups would feel too much like…, well, muffins ;-)). The rectangular shape is entirely novel to this family and reminiscent of bars of gold :). How fun to learn about! And so pretty too how the raspberries drop in the center of the batter. Looks like the 2 of Hearts :).
Thank you so much, Kelly. Financiers look quite innocent if made without fruit, so they are difficult to spot in a bakery or pastry shop. Actually the raspberries made me a bit angry: they became really dark and looked a bit like holes. Luckily the taste was excellent.
I love the look of the sunken raspberries!
Thank you, Kelly 🙂
Hi Sissi! Hope you had a great weekend. Mine is about to end and I’m so tired from all the activities done from Friday to today… Weekend is no longer for “rest” or “relax” and I feel like I got even more tired before new week starts. On those tiring days, this kind of dessert is a real nice treat. Not too sweet, and it goes well with my favorite tea…and this is such a elegant dessert (please don’t make me say the name of the dessert – most likely I pronounce it wrong!). xD I love your Financiers!
Hi, Nami. I’ve had quite a busy weekend too, but in a pleasant way. Thank you so much for the compliments. I’m glad you like this simple dessert idea. It’s so easy to prepare (and to pronounce)! You should try them one day.
I’m going to keep my eyes open for these beautiful little cakes when we’re in France in a few weeks, they sound absolutely divine. I do love almonds so this would be perfect for me, and I have the cutest little square muffin tins that would work very well.
Thank you so much, Eva. Raspberries might be out of season in September, but plain financiers are easy to find.
i would love to have it with a hot cup of tea
I’m sure they would go very well with a cup of tea (I prefer strong coffee though).
They are so dainty and perfectly formed! I haven’t had a financier before though I’ve been to Paris. Sad isn’t it?
Thank you very much, Sylvia. If they are plain (without any fruit or other alterations), they are easy to miss in a pastry shop among other more impressive cakes… It’s not sad because they can easily be made at home!
Indeed as you said financiers are very delicate and sophisticated in their texture and judjing from the picture you succeeded in both these aspects with yours Sissi! Very beautiful presentation!
Thank you very much, Katerina. Actually they looked much much better in reality… and there was the lovely scent too of course 🙂
Dear Sissi,
I have a finance background and never knew there was another meaning for financier. This looks like a relatively simple recipe and looks great with the raspberries.
Thank you, Chopinand. I had no idea you had a finance background. This plus piano is a very interesting comboination 😉
It’s one of the simplest baked sweets recipe I know. I cannot imagine anyone failing it, unless of course the financiers get burnt. They are really delicious and delicate in taste (if you like almonds), so do try them one day.