Rye chocolate chip financiers

Financiers are one of my downfalls: petite, delicate, but full of flavor, they are a great way of using leftover egg whites. I have been trying to make them using olive oil instead of butter, but the texture was a bit off, so more tests are necessary.

The recipe I bring you today is from ages ago (when I could still eat butter) and it is delicious: the rye flour makes the financiers a little bit heavier on texture, yet flavorsome, and the flavor of the rye flour goes really well with chocolate.

Rye chocolate chip financiers
own recipe

85g almond meal
¾ xícara (105g) icing sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons (30g) all purpose flour, sifted
3 tablespoons (30g) fine rye flour, sifted
pinch of salt
5 large egg whites
85g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (85g) dark chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond meal, icing sugar, all purpose flour, rye flour and salt. Whisk in the egg whites. Whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth, then fold in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Butter ten 100ml-capacity molds or mini muffin pans.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the top. Divide the berries among the pans, placing them on top of the batter and pushing them slightly into the batter. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden and risen – a skewer in the center should come out clean.
Cool in the pans over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to the rack, cooling completely.

Financiers are tastier on the day they are made, however they can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days

Makes 10

Tangerine coconut financiers, videos and texts

I was talking to my husband the other day about why I still blog, after eleven years. I was telling him how people are drawn to videos nowadays and that everyone says that blogs are a thing of the past.

The conversation started because I wanted to read reviews about a hair product and all I could find was videos about it. I did not want videos, I wanted text, and there were hardly any. Until that day I used to tell my husband that I did not make recipe videos because I do not have time for them (which is true), but I suddenly realized that I actually don’t like recipe videos (with very few exceptions) – I prefer text whenever possible. I like to read people’s ideas, and it makes me happy when they read me too.

These financiers are a result of replacing almond meal with desiccated coconut, and such a tropical flavor paired beautifully with the citrus touch from the tangerines. This recipe goes to those of you who still feel that blogs are worth reading, and I hope you come back later this week: I will post another recipe using the juice of these very tangerines, since in the financiers you will only use the zest.

Tangerine coconut financiers
own recipe

3 tablespoons (30g) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (67g) desiccated unsweetened coconut
½ cup (70g) icing sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
finely grated zest of 2 tangerines
3 egg whites (84g)
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, coconut, icing sugar, salt and tangerine zest. Whisk in the egg whites. Whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Butter twelve 2-tablespoon capacity molds or mini muffin pans.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden and risen – a skewer in the center should come out clean.
Cool in the pans over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to the rack, cooling completely.

Makes 12

Blackberry rye financiers and going crazy with ingredients

I know many people hate to go to the grocery store, but I must confess that to me that is a lot of fun (you can go ahead and call me crazy, no hard feelings). :)

My husband finds it funny that I can get really, really excited about a beautiful fruit or certain new products – a couple of weeks ago I saw a jar of lemon marmalade on the shelf and screamed at him “LOOK AT THIS!!” from the other side of the aisle – it is a good thing he knows me well and does not mind being stared at by strangers. :)

Another discreet moment *ahem* happened months ago, when I saw these teeny tiny blackberries in the supermarket – they looked so adorable I had to bring them home. My idea was to eat them with yogurt for breakfast, however they were really sour, even for me. So half of them became a crumble and the other half were added to these financiers, in which I replaced the all purpose flour for fine rye flour (the flour I mentioned here). It was such a beautiful combo of flavors I was very happy with the result – not to mention how cute the financiers look. <3

Blackberry rye financiers
own recipe

¾ cup (75g) almond meal
2 ½ tablespoons (25g) fine rye flour (the same kind I describe here)
½ cup (70g) icing sugar, sifted
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
3 egg whites (84g)
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons Amaretto
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (90g) small blackberries

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond meal, rye flour, icing sugar, cinnamon and salt. Whisk in the egg whites. Whisk in the butter, Amaretto and vanilla until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Butter eight 100ml-capacity molds or mini muffin pans.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the top. Divide the berries among the pans, placing them on top of the batter and pushing them slightly into the batter. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden and risen – a skewer in the center should come out clean.
Cool in the pans over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to the rack, cooling completely.

Makes 8

Orange berry financiers to start 2017

Happy New Year, everyone!

I wish each and every one of you all the best in 2017 – lots of love, joy and happiness.

I am back at work, after having a week off to enjoy Christmas and spend time with my family. It was a calm week, filled with good food, TV shows and movies, hot days – which are a nightmare for me, but hey, it is summer, after all – and loads of rest, including strategic naps after lunch. ;)

I did not bake much, however: I felt paralyzed with heat and was not brave enough to turn on the oven. I made a chocolate cake for my nephew – he asked for one after watching an episode of Peppa Pig – and it was pretty much it. But I bring you a recipe I made many weeks ago and that tasted delicious: these financiers made with orange and berries. The berries become little pools of jelly when baked and their flavor pairs beautifully with the orange.

These financiers are everything I want 2017 to be: beautiful, delicate, perfumed and delicious: fingers crossed that I get my wish. ;)

Orange berry financiers
adapted from the always delicious Simply Bill

¾ cup (105g) icing sugar, sifted
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
¾ cup (75g) almond meal (finely ground almonds)
1/3 cup (46g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt
5 egg whites
100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (35g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (unthawed)
¼ cup (30g) raspberries, fresh or frozen (unthawed)
icing sugar, extra, for dusting

In a large bowl, place the orange zest and the sugar and rub them together with your fingertips until sugar is fragrant. Whisk in the almond meal, flour and salt. Stir in the egg whites, butter, and vanilla until batter is smooth. Fold in the berries – if you prefer, leave some to be placed on top of the financiers before baking them. Cover batter and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden – a skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans over a wire rack for 2 minutes. Carefully unmold onto the rack and to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If days are too hot, keep refrigerated to avoid the berries going moldy.

Makes 10

Aperitif financiers - great with a glass of sparkling wine

If you’ve been here a while you probably know that I love financiers: I’ve made them in many different flavors for they are delicious and also a great way of using leftover egg whites (something I happen to have in my freezer quite often).

Savory financiers, however, was something I hadn’t tried before, and the ones on Rachel Khoo’s gorgeous cookbook looked so adorable I had to try them – they were part of my Christmas Eve dinner, something to be nibbled with drinks before the actual dinner was served.

The financiers turned out tasty and oh, so cute, making the table look even prettier – they were perfect paired with a glass of Prosecco and I’ll be making them again for my New Year’s dinner next week.

Aperitif financiers
slightly adapted from the oh, so beautiful The Little Paris Kitchen: 120 Simple But Classic French Recipes

65g unsalted butter, chopped
½ cup (50g) almond meal
¼ cup (35g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
2 eggs, separated
generous pinch of salt
12 small pieces of parmesan
6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
about 5 olives, sliced in rings

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour twelve 2-tablespoon capacity financier or mini muffin molds.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it turns golden brown, then remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm.
In a small bowl, mix the almond meal, flour, baking powder and sugar. Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. In a third small bowl, place the yolks and slowly whisk in the warm butter. Fold this into the dry ingredients, then fold in the egg whites.
Spoon the batter into the prepared molds and top each with a piece of cheese, tomato halves and the olives, pushing slightly into the batter. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden. Unmold immediately onto a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12

Chocolate orange financiers and going for something slightly different

I used to think that I was immune to gore – David Cronenberg is one of my favorite directors, after all – but I might be getting less resistant to it as I get older: I haven’t been able to continue watching Hannibal (I saw two episodes of season 2 months ago) and I gave up on The Knick after only fifteen minutes. :S

I intend to go back to both series (very soon, I hope) but I can’t imagine myself watching them now. Days ago I was looking for something different, even if ever so slightly, and started watching Betrayal, the reason being my love for Night Stalker, a TV show I watched years ago (to this day I haven’t met anyone who watched it, too).

Night Stalker got canceled in a heartbeat, and Betrayal won’t have a second season – poor Stuart Townsend is definitely not the luckiest guy in the world when it comes to TV shows. :(

I’ll continue watching Betrayal anyway – so far, it’s kept me interested and it doesn’t involve blood or chopped people. That is what I want for the moment. :)

I might go back to gore soon, who knows? The same way I always go back to financiers: I can’t resist baking them, even though I tell myself I’ll keep the egg whites in the freezer until I have enough of them to bake an angel food cake. :) There is always an interesting financier recipe to try with good flavor combos, like orange and chocolate, which I find fantastic together.

Chocolate orange financiers
adapted from two great sources: A Passion for Baking and Simply Bill

120g icing sugar
65g all purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
85g almond meal
5 egg whites
80g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
35g dark chocolate, melted and cooled – I used one with 53% cocoa solids
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 orange
icing sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, sift together the icing sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, then whisk in the almond meal. Stir in the eggs whites, then the butter, chocolate, vanilla and zest. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans, then bake for about 15 minutes or until risen and firm to touch and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pans for 2 minutes, then carefully unmold onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 10

Hazelnut blackberry financiers made with "safely" acquired berries

I was never an athletic child: while my brother and cousins liked being outside playing soccer or riding their bikes, I much preferred being inside, reading my comic books or writing stories. I was never able to do a cartwheel, and up to this day I haven’t learned how to ride a bike (you can go ahead and laugh, now). :)

One of my cousins, who was my age, was quite the opposite: she used to play with the boys, rode her bike with her hands in the air and could even climb trees. Her parents had a mulberry tree in their back yard and I loved eating the berries, but could never reach them; my cousin was kind enough to climb the tree and fill a small bucket with the berries for us to eat together - on the ground, safely, of course. :D

When I went berry picking with my friend Valentina years ago and saw blackberry bushes I thought “hey, this is so much easier!”, only to notice, a couple of steps forward, that the bushes were covered in thorns. :S

I think I should stick with buying berries at the supermarket, right? That is a lot safer. :) Having them in the freezer is great for when the baking urge strikes: here, the blackberries are paired with hazelnuts and the result is really delicious financiers.

Hazelnut blackberry financiers
adapted from the always delicious Simply Bill

85g hazelnut meal (finely ground hazelnuts)
135g icing sugar, sifted
55g all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
5 egg whites
95g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
170g frozen blackberries, unthawed
icing sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, combine the hazelnut meal, icing sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Stir in the melted butter and the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans, then top each with 3-4 berries, pressing some down into the batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden - the financiers should spring back when touched.
Cool in the pans for 2 minutes, then carefully unmold onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 10

Little passion fruit and coconut cakes (with amaranth flour) and time to change

A very dear friend of mine adores Downton Abbey and every time we see each other she asks me if I have started watching the show, to which I always reply “no, not yet”. She ended up lending me the DVDs, but I’ve been so caught up with SoA that I never bring myself to watch them.

To make things worse, I’ve started watching The Sopranos (because of another dear friend) and got hooked right from the start – it is impossible not to love Tony Soprano, I can tell you.

Breaking Bad, The Fall, SoA and now The Sopranos – I wonder if I’m on a criminal roll. :S Maybe it’s time to change to something less bloody, more delicate. Maybe it’s time for Downton Abbey, after all. :)

If my TV series choices seem to fall into a certain category, my cooking and baking habits seem to have widen, a little at least: these small cakes fit perfectly into my desire to try new things and to make old favorites differently – made with icing sugar, egg whites and almond meal they’re like financiers, but here the all purpose flour is replaced by amaranth flour, making these a tiny bit more nutritional then traditional financiers and also gluten free (I have gone as far as calling sweets “nutritional”, you’re not reading it wrong). :D

Little passion fruit and coconut cakes (with amaranth flour)
slightly adapted from the beautiful Supergrains: Cook Your Way to Great Health

200g pure icing sugar
65g amaranth flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup (100g) almond meal
½ cup (50g) desiccated coconut
6 egg whites, lightly whisked
100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
70g passion fruit pulp, seeds and all
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
icing sugar, extra, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 12-hole 80ml muffin pan or line it with paper cases.
Sift the icing sugar, amaranth flour, baking powder and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Stir through the almond meal and coconut.
Add the egg whites, butter, zest, passion fruit pulp and vanilla and stir to combine. Divide the mixture among the lined muffin holes. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through (a skewer inserted into the center of a cake should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it). Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Makes 12

Orange poppy seed financiers and a thing for weird projects

I told you, months ago, that I wasn’t in the mood to watch Nymphomaniac, but days ago I was so bored with the TV programming that I gave the movie a chance, only to be convinced, by the end of it, that Lars Von Trier is really not my cup of tea. There are some strikingly beautiful shots in the film, but I did not like it as a whole. It’s porn – and there’s nothing wrong with that – so I wish people wouldn't try to sell it as art.

The newcomer Stacy Martin got all the action in the first movie, but as for what I’ve read poor Charlotte Gainsbourg is in a pickle in volume II – I must say I find Charlotte a very courageous actress, for after what she went through in Antichrist I could have sworn she would never work with Lars Von Trier again (I certainly wouldn’t). But she did, and more than once.

While Charlotte seems to have a thing for weird projects, my "thing" is a lot simpler and tastier: financiers. They’re a favorite of mine and I make some whenever I have egg whites in my freezer – I’ve been trying to make an angel food cake for months, but financiers win every time. The orange zest gave these wonderful smell and flavor, while the poppy seeds made them pretty and added a bit of crunch.

Orange poppy seed financiers
adapted from the always delicious Simply Bill

85g almond meal (finely ground almonds)
135g icing sugar, sifted
55g all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
finely grated zest of 1 very large orange or 2 small ones
5 egg whites
95g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
icing sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, salt, poppy seeds and zest. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Stir in the melted butter and the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden - the financiers should spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for 2 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 10

Lime poppy seed financiers and "Game of Thrones"

I was once someone who watched each and every TV show aired here in Brazil – even things like “The Nanny” and “The Single Guy” – but then life happened and I had to get one more job (since what I made with one wasn’t nearly enough). Fast forward several years, I no longer had to work mornings, afternoons and nights (thank heavens), but I’d been out of the loop of TV shows for too long and getting back on track surely takes time.

Because of all the buzz I decided to watch “Game of Thrones” – almost everyone I know loves and swears by the show – but after one entire season and two episodes of season 2 I’m still trying to get what the fuss is all about; yes, the cast is fantastic and everything looks realistically medieval (kudos to all the people involved), but the episodes to me are on the verge of boring (“Breaking Bad” has spoiled me for life, I’m aware of that). :) For now, the only reason I go on watching GoT is to find out what the heck happens on episode 9 of the third season (my timeline on Facebook nearly exploded when that was aired), but if the show goes on like this I might just read about the episode and get it over with (even though I hate spoilers). Right now I’m seriously considering leaving GoT for “Hannibal” or “Bates Motel”.

If I haven’t been able to get addicted to GoT I can’t say the same about financiers: I love baking (and eating) them, much to the point of making a cake with 7 egg yolks just to have egg whites left (the egg white stash in my freezer was rather low). These are perfumed with lime zest and are deliciously chewy, with a bit of crunch provided by the poppy seeds.

Lime poppy seed financiers
adapted from the always delicious Simply Bill

85g almond meal (finely ground almonds)
135g icing sugar, sifted
55g all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
finely grated zest of 2 large limes
5 egg whites
95g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
icing sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, salt, poppy seeds and zest. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Stir in the melted butter and the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden - the friands should spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for 2 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 10

Chocolate financiers with lemon crumble + a lovely French movie

I find it impossible to think of French movies without thinking of Audrey Tautou – because of “Amélie” she occupies the place in my mind that was once shared by Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve (it’s just a matter of order, not talent, of course).

Yesterday I watched “Delicacy”, and felt so moved by it: a movie that is romantic without being cheesy, about love, loss, life. Tautou with those big eyes of hers makes you cry and laugh without resorting to silly things or situations, and by the end of the movie you’ll feel like catching a plane to Paris asap. :)

And to continue with the French feeling caused by that lovely movie, I bring you these tasty financiers: a French treat by a French chef – I would never have imagined that financiers could be topped with crumble, but I’m glad Eric Lanlard did. :D

Chocolate financiers with lemon crumble
slightly adapted from the über delicious Chocolat (I bought mine here)

Crumble topping:
25g all purpose flour
25g icing sugar, sifted
50g almond meal
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
pinch of salt
25g unsalted butter, cold and diced

Financiers:
40g dark chocolate, chopped – I used one with 53% cocoa solids
75g unsalted butter, chopped
50g almond meal
125g icing sugar, sifted
40g all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
Crumble: place the flour, icing sugar, almond meal, zest and salt in a small bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Refrigerate while you make the financier batter: melt chocolate and butter together in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, salt and vanilla. Stir in the egg whites. Pour the batter into the prepared pan filling each cavity ¾ of its capacity. Generous sprinkle with the crumble mixture, packing it lightly to adhere. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until risen and a toothpick inserted in the center of a financier comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and transfer to the rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24

Orange and pistachio financiers

Financiers are one of my favorite baked goods: I love their chewy texture and they are also very versatile when it comes to flavors – the sky is the limit. A small bag of pistachios in the freezer was the perfect excuse for baking these financiers: since the lemons I had in my fridge were reserved for a cake I replaced their zest with orange and I think the result was better than the one from the original recipe.

Orange and pistachio financiers
slightly adapted from the always sinful and delicious Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth

½ cup (50g) almond meal
1 cup (135g) unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted and cooled
1 ½ cups (210g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
finely grated zest of 2 oranges
8 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter, melted

Combine the almond meal, pistachios and the confectioners’ sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture is very fine and powdery.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the granulated sugar, orange zest, egg whites and vanilla just until smooth. Sift the flour and salt together over the batter and fold in gently. Carefully stir in the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Generously butter 24 financier molds. Fill each mold ¾ full and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden and firm. Remove from the oven and immediately unmold onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar to serve, if desired.

Makes 24 – I halved the recipe above, used 2-tablespoon capacity molds and got 24 financiers

Nougat flavored financiers

I might have been oh, so brave facing the heat and making pastry anyway but that, folks, was pretty much it: when it came to making nougat I gave up. :S However, that doesn’t mean I can’t have a nougat flavored baked good, right? When I looked at the egg whites left from making the eggnog frosting I instantly thought of financiers, and the candied orange zest left from the panforte inspired me to make these treats – they are tender, delicious and unlike real nougat, they’re very easy and quick to make.

Nougat flavored financiers
adapted from Bill’s wonderful financier recipe

2/3 cup (67g) almond meal*
¾ cup (105g) icing sugar + plus extra for dusting
1/3 cup (46g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt
4 egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon orange blossom water
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly warm
1/3 cup (43g) unsalted pistachios, slightly toasted, cooled and chopped
¼ cup chopped candied orange zest
1/3 cup (36g) dried cranberries, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter and flour eight 1/3-capacity muffin pans (mine were silicon, so I just buttered them).
In a large bowl, sift together the ground almonds, icing sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the egg whites until just combined, followed by the vanilla and orange flower water. Stir in the melted butter, then the pistachios, candied zest and cranberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans over a wire rack for 5 minutes then carefully unmold onto the rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

* I had 2 tablespoons very finely ground pistachios left from another recipe and I used it mixed with the almond meal

Makes 8

Spiced chestnut financiers

Financiers are one of my favorite things to bake: they are so cute and petite, I love anything almond and always have more than enough egg whites in the freezer. So while baking with my chestnut flour I immediately thought of a financier version made with it, which turned out interesting with a hint of cinnamon; however, unlike the financiers made with almond meal, the flavor in these did not develop with time, so they're best eaten the day they're made (and taste really good with a dollop of cherry jam).

Spiced chestnut financiers
adapted from the great Simply Bill

½ cup (50g) chestnut flour
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (68g) icing sugar + a bit extra for dusting
3 tablespoons (30g) all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 egg whites
¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease and flour twelve 2-tablespoon capacity financier molds.
In a large bowl, sift together the chestnut flour, icing sugar, all purpose flour, salt and cinnamon. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Stir in the melted butter.
Pour the batter in the pans. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden - the financiers should spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar and store in an airtight container.

Makes 12

Red currant financiers + The Smiths

As you know I wasn’t familiar with most of the cast of the wonderful “Animal Kingdom”, so as soon as the movie ended I went to IMDb for some information and that was how I found out that one of James Frecheville’s next projects is a movie about the demise of my #1 band – I found the synopsis really interesting and the title chosen for the movie absolutely perfect (it is one of my most favorite songs, too).

After the London Olympics Closing Ceremony ended, I was talking to a couple of friends about how I thought The Smiths should have been mentioned during the show being one of the most important British bands in History, and we wondered if that had been a decision made by the people in charge of the ceremony because of the band’s political criticism or if Morrissey hadn’t allowed the songs to be used – both scenarios make a lot of sense, I think. :)

***

I find red currants one of the most beautiful things Nature has to offer when it comes to fruit: they look like gems. The first time I saw fresh red currants was years ago at the Borough Market – I had never seen them here in Brazil before. What a lovely surprise it was to find some at a grocery store a couple of weeks ago – I ignored the price and brought home a small box of the precious berries, turning some of them into these delicate financiers.

Red currant financiers
adapted from the wonderful Simply Bill

2/3 cup (67g) almond meal
¾ cup (105g) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
1/3 cup (47g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt
4 egg whites (112g)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
about 70g fresh red currants

Butter and flour eighteen 2-tablespoon capacity financier molds.
In a medium bowl, sift together the almond meal, icing sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the egg whites and vanilla until just combined. Stir in the melted butter. Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes – in the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Divide the batter evenly among the pans. Arrange the red currants on top of each financier.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until risen and golden - the friands should spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and leave in the pans over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold onto the rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Makes 18

Dulce de leche financiers - a genius idea

One of the things I love the most about financiers is how moist and tender they are – their texture is really amazing. Besides that, financiers are a great way to use up frozen egg whites and they’re perfect for a baking urge as well – you don’t have to wait for the butter to soften to make these little beauties.

With a jar of dulce de leche in my pantry – apparently the ddl frenzy hasn’t ended yet – I decided to play around with my favorite financier recipe, tweaking some details to use dulce de leche instead of peanut butter, and what a genius idea that turned out to be (modesty is for the weak). ;)

Dulce de leche financiers
adapted from Rose’s peanut butter financiers

1 ¼ cups (125g) almond meal
½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (85g) all purpose flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (156g) icing sugar
6 large egg whites
pinch of salt
200g unsalted butter, melted and still warm
6 tablespoons dulce de leche
about 3 tablespoons dulce de leche, extra

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°C; butter eight ¾ cup (180ml) capacity financier or muffin molds (I used this pan).
In a large bowl, sift together the almond meal, all purpose flour and icing sugar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites and salt until foamy. Add the almond flour mixture, beat well, then gradually drizzle the butter over the mixture, whisking well. Add the 6 tablespoons dulce de leche and whisk until evenly incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared molds, filling each about ¾ full. Place about 1 teaspoon of the extra dulce de leche in the center of each financier then, using a toothpick, marble the dulce de leche with the batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the financiers are golden and a skewer inserted in the financiers comes out clean.
Let the financiers cool in the molds for 8-10 minutes, then carefully unmold onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
Financiers can be kept in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days, or 5 days in the fridge.

Makes 8

Spice financiers to kick off the holiday recipes

As said a couple of posts ago, I now start my holiday recipe series 2011 – I had so much fun in the previous years making these recipes I hoped I could do it again. I thought that star-shaped financiers would be a lovely way to begin – with all those delicious spices to boot – but I’ll be honest with you: the stracciatella ice cream in my freezer is the reason why I baked the little cakes. :)

These financiers are melt-in-your-mouth tender and have a wonderful smell – not to mention they look oh, so cute. :D

Spice financiers
adapted from the gorgeous and very girlie Baking Style: Art, Craft, Recipes

1 ½ cups (210g) icing sugar, plus a little extra for serving
6 tablespoons (60g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup (50g) almond meal (finely ground almonds)
4 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, melted

Sift icing sugar, all purpose flour, salt and spices into a medium bowl. Stir in the almond meal. Add the egg whites and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the butter and mix to combine. Refrigerate batter for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Lightly butter fifteen 3-tablespoon capacity silicone pans or butter and flour metal financier molds.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and place them onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the financiers comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes then carefully unmold onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Makes 15

Vanilla bean and candied kumquat financiers + a movie everyone should watch

I watched "Trust" last Saturday and liked it a lot: well directed with great performances, which to me is imperative when such a delicate subject is being portrayed. I took my sister with me because I thought it would be important for her to watch that movie and I think that parents, teenagers and even young adults should watch it, too.

One thing about the movie that surprised me was the director, David Schwimmer: I do not know much of his work – except for “Friends” – and to me he handled “Trust” perfectly. I will definitely pay attention to his next projects – versatility is one quality I deeply admire in actors and directors.

From versatile people to versatile recipes: these financiers are delicious and the perfect canvas for your imagination – I made them once with cherries and they worked really well with candied kumquats, too.

Vanilla bean and candied kumquat financiers
adapted from two great books: Simply Bill e Baking for All Occasions

Candied kumquats:
1 dozen kumquats
¾ cup (180ml) water
½ tablespoon light corn syrup
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (224g) superfine sugar

Financiers:
2/3 cup (67g) almond meal (finely ground almonds)
¾ cup (105g) icing sugar, sifted + extra for dusting
1/3 cup (46g) all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
4 egg whites
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds removed with the back of the knife
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Start by making the candied kumquats: using a small serrated knife, trim off the stem end of each kumquat and then cut into about 6mm (¼ in) slices. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup and sugar over medium heat and heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil without stirring. Add the kumquat slices, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the fruit is tender and the sugar syrup is syrupy, 15-25 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool completely. Candied kumquat slices can be kept in the syrup, in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 1 month.
When you are ready to bake the financiers, remove the kumquat slices from the syrup and place onto a cooling rack to dry for 2-3 hours.

Now, the financiers: preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter ten 1/3 cup (80ml) silicone molds or butter and flour muffin pans.
Mix together the ground almonds, icing sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Add the vanilla seeds and extract. Stir in the melted butter.
Pour the batter into prepared. Arrange 2-3 kumquat slices on top of each financier.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave in the pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar to serve; store in an airtight container.

Makes 10

Nibby financiers

Certain smells, movies, songs – or even certain words – automatically remind us of certain people. In today’s case, it’s food that brings me two lovely friends of mine to mind – it’s impossible for me to bake financiers without thinking of @liliantrigo and Paula. :D

Nibby financiers
adapted from Rose's Heavenly Cakes

2/3 cup (66g) almond meal
1/3 cup + ½ tablespoon (51g) all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
¾ cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
½ cup cacao nibs, combined in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon all purpose flour

Lightly butter and flour twelve ¼ cup (60ml) capacity muffin or financier pans. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together almond meal, flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar. Add the egg whites, vanilla and melted butter and mix to combine. Stir in the cacao nibs. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans, place onto a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the center of a financier comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, let cool in the pans for 5-7 minutes, then carefully unmold onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Makes 12 – I halved the recipe above, used 2-tablespoon capacity pans and got 12 tiny financiers

Lemon financiers

I realized something a good while ago: I bake when I’m happy, and I bake when I’m sad.

If something bothers me, or if people let me down, I bake – or feel the urge to. If I am glad about something, or someone I like deserves a treat, I bake, too. :)

These financiers were baked on a very happy day: I was going to meet four lovely, gorgeous, fantastic women, who I am very lucky to call my friends. Therefore I baked something – and it was lemony, of course. ;)

Lemon financiers
adapted from Little Cafe Cakes

175g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup (100g) ground almonds
6 egg whites, lightly beaten
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ cups (210g) icing sugar, sifted
½ cup (70g) all purpose flour, sifted

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Butter well twelve 1/3-cup (80ml) capacity muffin pans.
Place the butter, ground almonds, egg whites, lemon zest and juice, icing sugar and flour in a large bowl and stir just until combined.
Equally divide the batter among prepared pans – they should be just over ½ full.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to stand in pans for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Makes 12