Classic French Financiers
Real financiers come out of little rectangular molds, and I don’t own any. A regular muffin pan works fine, honestly, and nobody’s ever complained. What matters more is the butter. Melt it, and if you’ve got four extra minutes, keep going until it smells nutty and turns light amber. That brown butter flavor is basically the whole reason these exist.
The egg whites get whipped to stiff peaks before they go in, which isn’t how every French baker does it, but it keeps the inside soft and airy under a golden, slightly chewy crust. Scatter sliced almonds on top before baking so they toast in the oven. I leave a plate of these out in the afternoon and they’re gone before dinner.
Classic French financiers, the little almond cakes you'll find in every Paris bakery, baked here in a plain muffin pan. They're done in about 20 minutes. Crisp at the edges and soft inside, with toasted sliced almonds on top and a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 340°F. Grease each cup of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with butter, then dust lightly with flour, tapping out any excess. Set the pan aside.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, butter and all-purpose flour
- Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed until they form stiff, glossy peaks — they should hold their shape when you lift the beater. Set aside.4 large egg whites
- In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, almond flour, all-purpose flour, and salt until evenly combined. This dry blend is the base that gives the financiers their structure and nutty flavor.1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 pinch salt, powdered sugar
- Pour the melted butter and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients and stir until a smooth paste forms. Add the whipped egg whites in two additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula after each — use slow, sweeping motions to keep as much air in the whites as possible. Stop folding as soon as no white streaks remain.1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Scatter a pinch of sliced almonds over the top of each one.sliced almonds
- Bake at 340°F for about 20 minutes, until the tops are deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the financiers cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack.
- Once the financiers are just slightly warm, sift a light dusting of powdered sugar over the tops. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Notes
For extra depth of flavor, cook the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it turns light amber and smells nutty before using it — this is classic beurre noisette and takes only 3 to 4 minutes. These financiers keep well for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
You might also like our Traditional French Custard Tart.
made these yesterday and they turned out so pretty. the almond flour really makes them taste buttery and special. my coworkers asked for the recipe which never happens
been making financiers for years but yours are easier. i usually mess up getting the egg whites right but your instructions were super clear. made a full batch on sunday and they lasted until tuesday
It was ok
Pretty good 🙂