I came accross a recipe for Financier when I was looking for something to do all those egg whites from the Chocolate Truffle Tart I made on Valentine's day.
I had Nick Malgieri's Perfect Cakes on my shelf forever and am embarrased to admit I had never paid much attention to it. Brown Butter - Hazelnut Financier got my notice. Below is what I created with what I had on hand.
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup Arrowroot
- 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
- 10 tbsp Soy Garden or butter
- 2 tbsp Mount Gay Rum
- 1 tbsp Pure Pistachio Extract
- 1/4 cup Orange Vanilla Sugar
- 1 cup large egg whites, about 8 or 9
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts, lightly chopped, about 1-ounce
- Whipped cream with a dash of green food coloring to top
One 10-inch springform or layer pan, buttered and the bottom lined with a disk of parchment or waxed paper. Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. In a large bowl stir together flours with 3/4 cup sugar . Melt the Soy Garden in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking the butter until it colors slightly, swirling the pan to color it evenly. Remove from heat and add the rum. Set aside to cool slightly. In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites and Orange Vanilla Sugar with the salt until they form a very soft peak. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a very slow stream, whipping constantly. Continue whipping the egg whites until they hold a soft peak. Alternately fold the flour and butter mixtures into the whites, 1/3 at a time. Begin with the hazelnut mixture and end with the butter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans. Smooth the top and sprinkle with the sliced or chopped hazelnuts. Bake the financier for about 50 minutes until well risen and golden. The center of the cake should feel firm when pressed with the palm of the hand. Cool the financier briefly on a rack and remove pan and paper. If some of the hazelnuts on the surface fall off, replace them on the cake. Dust very lightly with confectioners' sugar.
