My Favorite Financiers {2 ways}

These things are quite possibly one of my favorite things to bake ever. They are so deceptive. Look at them, just look at them. Those pretty little cakes above have much more to them then meets the eye. You might just cast them off as your typical tea cake but please, let's not be quite to judge.

These financiers are born from the beauty that is beurre noisette aka brown butter. Brown butter is one of the best things to ever encounter your kitchen. Once you smell the stuff, you're in heaven and once you taste it in sweets, it's a trip! Mixed with the nuttiness of ground almonds and fresh blackberries, it really makes a spectacular treat. 


My favorite part about these cakes are that they are gluten free. Gluten free you say? Heck I'm all for gluten, I love it but, this recipe uses rice flour in place of regular to make it gluten free. If you haven't tried rice flour before, give it a try! It makes delicious things like coconut mochi cake, daifuku and strawberry mochi cupcakes. I love the chewiness of it and it adds to the texture of these financiers in the most spectacular way. I love it so!

Honestly though, these little cakes are good with anything you can imagine. Here, I have them with blackberries and apricots. But I've tried them with rhubarb and with pears + pistachio. Every single time, they've come out spectacular and I can't get enough out of them. I can't wait to try them with tons of other add-ins. I'm dreaming of sweet cherries, earl grey tea, and raspberries!

Blackberry & Vanilla Bean Financiers

Yields: 12 financiers

Adapted from here.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup unsifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup sweet rice flour

pinch of salt

4 large egg whites

1 cup blackberries, washed and dried

Preheat the oven to 375 F and position the rack in the center. Lightly spray or butter the inside of 12 financier molds or muffin cups with cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet, set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it turns into a rich hazelnut brown color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes before straining it to remove the little dark butter particles at the bottom of the pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the powdered sugar, ground almonds, flour and salt on low speed until just combined. Add the egg whites and mix until all the ingredients are coming together. Add the brown butter, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Divide the batter among the molds and divide the blackberries evenly among the top. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Sugared Apricot Financiers

Yields: 12 financiers

Adapted from here.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup unsifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup sweet rice flour

pinch of salt

4 large egg whites

2 -3 apricots, washed, pitted and sliced into wedges

turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 F and position the rack in the center. Lightly spray or butter the inside of 12 financier molds or muffin cups with cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet, set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it turns into a rich hazelnut brown color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes before straining it to remove the little dark butter particles at the bottom of the pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the powdered sugar, ground almonds, flour and salt on low speed until just combined. Add the egg whites and mix until all the ingredients are coming together. Add the brown butter, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Divide the batter among the molds and divide the apricot slices evenly among the top. Sprinkle with a generous amount of turbinado sugar and Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Aren't they just stunning?!