Small, dense almond cakes made rich with browned butter and egg whites, traditionally baked in little rectangular ingot-shaped moulds. Moist and nutty inside with a delicately crisp edge, they taste deeply of toasted almond and caramelised butter. A refined French teatime treat.
Said to have been refined by a Parisian pastry chef near the Bourse stock exchange in the 19th century, shaped like gold ingots for financier clients, with roots in the older visitandine almond cake).
The crisp golden edge gives way to a moist, tender crumb that tastes intensely of almond and warm, toasty butter. There is a faint caramel depth from the beurre noisette that ordinary cakes never reach. Two bites and it is gone, which is exactly the problem.
Browning the butter (beurre noisette) develops nutty, caramel-toned compounds that define the flavour, while ground almonds keep the crumb moist and rich. Using only egg whites, with no yolks or raising agent, gives the cakes their dense yet tender, slightly chewy texture.
Variations
Common flavour twists include pistachio, matcha, or a single raspberry pressed into the top; the related visitandine and friand are close cousins.
On the Palate
Where Financier sits in the French flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 12
How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 18 min
Melt butter in a pan and cook until it turns nut-brown and smells toasty, then cool slightly.
Watch outCook the butter until it's nut-brown and smells toasty, then pull it off fast — the flecks go from golden to burnt-bitter in seconds.
- 23 min
Sift together icing sugar, ground almonds and flour in a bowl.
- 33 min
Whisk the egg whites lightly until just frothy, not stiff.
Watch outWhisk the whites only to a loose froth, not stiff peaks — over-beaten whites make the crumb dry and cakey instead of dense and chewy.
- 42 min
Fold the egg whites into the dry ingredients.
- 52 min
Stir in the warm browned butter until the batter is smooth.
- 630 min
Rest the batter in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- 73 min
Pipe or spoon it into buttered financier or small rectangular moulds.
- 814 min
Bake at 200C for about 13-15 minutes until golden with crisp edges.
Watch outThey're done when golden with crisp browned edges but a moist centre — a pale, uniform top means they're underbaked.
