What ho! After a quiet spring filled with lots of new things–like figuring out how to tend a fussy newborn while stirring a pot on the burner, how to stay sane during 2 am feedings, and wondering how anything so tiny can have so much personality–I’m back, +1 and plus a recipe. Mundum, please meet Francis Henry Athanasius Abraham. He’s all smiles 90% of the time, and only fussy for the important things in life, like demanding more milk, pretty please and thank you. In fact, one could quite accurately say that he does indeed cry over spilt milk.
But excited as I am to introduce Francis, the reason I finally got back to Ye Olde Blog is that I made financiers. No, not the investor kind. The kind with browned butter and crispy edges, a tender interior and subtle almond flavor. The Best Kind. I was quite surprised to find out that they’re quite easy to make, and am curious to try variations now. (Hazelnut financiers, anybody?) I used David Lebovitz’s recipe from My Paris Kitchen, and highly recommend it. I also recommend getting your babies to take longer naps than mine did when I thought I had a free window of nap time to make this recipe. But I digress.
Alright, here’s the recipe. Financiers are usually made in small rectangular molds, but I used madeleine molds because I don’t yet have the kitchen arsenal of a Michelin restaurant. Any similarly sized mold should work fine–just watch and adjust the cooking time. Madeleine molds took a couple minutes less than Lebovitz called for.
- 3/4 Cup almond meal or almond flour
- 1 Cup powdered sugar
- 6 Tbs all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 Tbs unsalted butter, cubed
- 3 large egg whites (1/2 cup total)
- Whisk dry ingredients together.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, and stir frequently until the butter turns a rich golden brown, akin to maple syrup, and accumulates little dark bits in the bottom. It will melt, foam and probably sputter before it changes color. Look for a heavenly smell, like salted caramel, as it finishes. (More foam may accrue while it browns.) Take off heat and let cool.
Meanwhile, stir egg whites into dry ingredients. Once butter has cooled (think warm not hot), stir in to batter and thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1-24 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Oil or butter molds, and fill with mounded tablespoons of batter. Firmly tap the tray on the counter to reduce air bubbles. Bake 12-15 minutes until they begin very lightly browning at edges and center springs back to touch. Cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to cooling rack. Store up to 5 days in an airtight container.
