Happy French Friday! It’s been a while since I’ve shared a recipe on a French Friday but here’s one a lot of people have been asking for. Financiers are small French “tea cakes” made with almond flour and a touch of all-purpose (plain) flour and have been a big hit in my recent online classes! People love how easy they are to make and how impressive they look!
Typically prepared in small, rectangular moulds (that resemble gold bars – they are said to be invented by an enterprising baker in Paris’ financial district in the 19th century who needed a snack to sell his clientele that was able to be eaten “on the go” so he used a shape that was a nod to the district), they work well in mini muffin tins too, creating a wonderful crispy crust to fluffy interior ratio, since most people wouldn’t buy a mould just for one specific dish.
Over the past year, I’ve worked with so many students in my online classes and have had to adapt to the ingredients/ equipment that they have on hand. It’s also been a great lesson in figuring out ingredient substitutes for allergies/ intolerances and I’ve learned a lot on that front, too. It’s always a great teachable moment when we figure out what people can do with what they have on hand/ what they can’t eat.
I’ve experimented with making these gluten-free and it’s pretty easy to substitute a gluten-free blend since there’s so little flour anyway. The nut-free version has been the source of much experimenting but I’ve recently had success with Nuts.com Pumpkin Seed Powder and Gluten-Free Oat Flour. (note: these are affiliate links but I’d recommend these products even if I didn’t receive a small percentage of the purchase price – at no extra cost to you. These are excellent products, with fast shipping!)
These are definitely NOT as sweet as regular financiers – the pumpkin seed powder (let’s not call it “flour”) lends a “healthier” (for wont of a better word!) taste, which is why you might want to swirl in some jam (like these jam swirl financiers) or pop a half a raspberry in the top. They are probably a more adult treat, than for children, I think, but if your kids can’t eat nuts, they are an excellent option too!
Pumpkin seed financiers (gluten-free, nut-free)
Nut-free, gluten-free financiers.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (57 g/ 4 tablespoons/ 1/2 stick) salted butter
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons oat flour
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin seed powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 raspberries, halved
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400˚F. If you are using reliably non-stick muffin tins you may not need to but otherwise generously butter a 24-cavity mini muffin tin.
- Melt the butter (either in a small pot on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave for about 1 minutes). Set aside to cool. Beat the egg whites until frothy with electric beaters (1-2 minutes on high).
- Whisk the sugar, oat flour, pumpkin seed powder and salt in a small bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and use a rubber spatula to gently fold until the dry ingredients are just combined.
- Add the cooled, melted butter to the batter and use a rubber spatula to gently mix until the butter is completely incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
- Divide the batter between the muffin tins. You can do this with a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop or a small teaspoon. You’ll want to fill each mold so it’s nearly full.
- Place a raspberry half in the centre of each batter-filled tin, cut side down.
- Bake for 15 - 18 minutes or until the centre is slightly puffed and the edges are golden and slightly crispy and coming away from the pan. There may be cracks in the tops.
- Remove from the muffin pans immediately (run a small, sharp knife around the edges of the financiers or hook them out with a small spoon or toothpick) and allow to cool on wire cooling racks.
- Sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.
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Have you tried making financiers yet?
Happy (French) Friday!
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