Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 150 g icing sugar
- 60 g hazelnut flour
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 2 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 120 g egg whites, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Garnish
- 20 g hazelnuts, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 181 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Sodium
- 83 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 21 mg
- Potassium
- 69 mg
- Calcium
- 11 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 13 mg
- Phosphorus
- 28 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 66 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 11 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until the foaming subsides and the milk solids drop to the bottom and turn deep golden brown, emitting a nutty aroma. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl to cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl, combine the icing sugar, hazelnut flour, all-purpose flour, and fine sea salt. Whisk vigorously to break up any lumps and aerate the mixture.
Add the egg whites and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Stir gently until the mixture comes together into a thick, uniform paste. Do not overmix.
Gradually stream the warm browned butter into the batter while whisking continuously. Ensure all the browned bits from the bottom of the bowl are included. Continue whisking until the batter is smooth, glossy, and fully emulsified.
Cover the surface of the batter with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to hydrate the flour and firm up the butter, which helps create the classic domed shape.
Preheat the oven to 190C or 375F. Generously grease the cavities of a financier mold or mini muffin pan with softened butter.
Transfer the chilled batter to a piping bag or use a spoon to fill each mold about three-quarters full. Sprinkle the tops evenly with the chopped hazelnuts.
Bake in the preheated oven at 190C or 375F for 12 to 15 minutes. The financiers are ready when the edges are deep golden brown and the centers spring back slightly when lightly pressed.
Allow the cakes to rest in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents the delicate cakes from breaking.
Chef's Notes
- To maximize the hazelnut flavor, toast your hazelnut flour in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant before using, but ensure it cools completely before mixing.
- Browning the butter (beurre noisette) is essential for the signature flavor of a financier. Do not rush this step, and do not leave the pan unattended, as it goes from perfectly brown to burnt in seconds.
- Resting the batter in the refrigerator is a crucial technique. It relaxes the gluten and ensures the baking powder creates the characteristic slight dome or hump on the cakes.
- Egg whites are easiest to separate when cold, but they mix into the batter best when at room temperature.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent drying out. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze in a single layer before transferring to a sealed bag. Thaw at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Financiers have a tough or rubbery texture
Cause: Overmixing the batter after adding the flour, developing too much gluten
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Whisk only until the dry ingredients are just moistened by the wet ingredients
Batter looks separated or oily
Cause: Browned butter was added while too hot, melting the mixture too rapidly
Fix: Vigorously whisk the batter until an emulsion forms again
Prevention: Allow browned butter to cool to warm room temperature before incorporating
Cakes stick to the pan
Cause: Insufficient greasing of the molds
Fix: Gently run a thin, flexible knife around the edges while still warm
Prevention: Thoroughly brush molds with butter, getting into all corners
Cultural Context
Financiers are classic French teacakes originally created by the Visitandine nuns in the 17th century. They were later popularized in the 19th century by a Parisian baker named Lasne, whose shop was located near the city's financial district. He baked them in rectangular molds resembling gold bars to appeal to his wealthy banker clientele, who needed a clean, crumb-free dessert they could eat without ruining their suits.
