If you ask us, there is no better way to spend Mother’s Day than sharing some quality time over a cup of tea and a home-baked treat. We have a lot of favourite teacakes at Duchess, but if we had to recommend just one, the classic French financier would be an easy choice. They are very simple to make and yet full of flavour thanks to the ground almonds and beurre noisette which make up the batter. Financiers also lend themselves very well to additions of different fruit, nuts, and extracts, so you can really get creative, and make them mom’s favourite flavour. Be sure to check out our suggested flavour variations at the end of the recipe, along with our shopping list for some of those hard-to-find items.
Raspberry Pistachio Financiers
Yield · Makes 24 small or 12 large financiers
Ingredients
95 g (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp) unsalted butter
150 g (1 1/4 cups) icing sugar
95 g (1 cup) almond flour (finely ground almonds)
53 g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
150 g (about 5) large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
1 pint (2 cups) raspberries
30 g (1/4 cup) crushed raw pistachios
Special Equipment · You will need a financier mold. These are made of silicone or aluminum and come in a few different sizes (see shopping list below). At Duchess, we use a 24-cavity, 1.5-oz rectangular silicone mold. If you can’t find a financier mold, you can use a mini-muffin pan. If your mold is a different size, remember to adjust your baking time accordingly.
Procedure · Butter and flour the financier mold or mini-muffin pan. Preheat your oven to 425˚F (220˚C).- Make beurre noisette by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once fully melted, it will start to foam. Start whisking and continue to cook until the butter is a dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool.
- Whisk together the icing sugar, almond flour, and all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the egg whites and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Add the cooled beurre noisette in two parts, whisking between each addition. Make sure to use a spatula to get it all out of the pan as the dark brown sediment is loaded with a lovely nutty flavour that will make all the difference to your financiers.
- Place the financier mold on a flat baking sheet. Fill each cavity to about three-quarters full. For each financier, gently press a few raspberries halfway down into the batter. Finish with a sprinkling of crushed pistachios.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the financiers are a light golden brown on the sides and just baked on top. A proper financier has quite a soft centre so be sure not to overbake. Allow the financiers to cool slightly and gently pop them out of their molds.
Storage · Financiers will keep at room temperature for up to three days. The batter will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator or up to one month in the freezer.
Some of Duchess Bake Shop's feature financier flavours, clockwise from top-left: Apple Crumble, Vanilla Rhubarb Pain d'Épice, Chocolate Amarena Cherry, Pineapple Coconut.
Try these Flavour Variations—
- Blueberry & Coconut · Replace the fresh raspberries with fresh blueberries and garnish with sweetened shredded coconut.
- Provence Tea & Orange · Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind 1 tsp of your favourite Earl Grey tea (we use Duchess Blend Provence tea) to a fine powder. Fold the ground tea, 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest, and 2 Tbsp orange marmalade into the batter at the end of Step 3.
Financier Shopping List–
- Silicone Financier Mold or,
- Financier Baking Tray
- Rubbermaid High Heat Scraper
- Piano Whisk
- Almond Flour
- Cow’s Creamery 84% Unsalted Butter
- Raw Pistachios
- Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract or,
- Nielsen Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
- Beanilla Vanilla Extract Double-Fold
- Duchess Blend Provence Tea
