Scroll to the bottom of the post to get ALL the “12 Days” recipes from 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022!
Welcome to Day 10 of
The Twelve Days of Holiday Treats!
Once again, this year, from December 1st-12th I’ll post a new holiday treat recipe every day – inspiration for your holiday entertaining!
The recipes I’m sharing are small-er batch – each recipe makes 1-dozen or a few more smaller-sized treats that are simple to prepare and that use everyday ingredients and equipment so hopefully you’ll be able to whip up any of these on a whim. Check out the treats from 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 at the bottom of this post too for more inspiration!
Today’s treat – Hazelnut Chocolate Financiers – is simple to make, tasty to eat, and impressive to look at (those domes!). Best of all they don’t take very long to make so you can whip these up at short notice. Perfect for the holiday season!
What is a financier?
Essentially it’s a small tea cake made with almond meal and only a small quantity of all-purpose flour. A financier is a little more substantial than a madeleine. Because they only contain a little bit of flour, they are easy to make gluten-free.
Why are they called “financiers”?
Financiers are a popular after-school (or anytime!) snack in France, typically small rectangular-shaped tea cakes made with almond flour. A version of them was originally baked in an oval shape by nuns of the Order of the Visitation and the cakes were called visitandines.
A clever baker working in Paris’s financial district in the 19th century saw how these cakes could be easily eaten on the go, and thought this would appeal to his busy banker clientele. He shaped the cakes like gold bars and named them financiers as a nod to both his clientele and the surrounding district.
They now come in various shapes, including rectangles and ovals. For individual cakes, I always use a mini muffin pan because they work well to give you a good crunchy exterior/ fluffy interior ratio.
Are financiers gluten-free?
Typically financiers are made with almond flour and a little all-purpose (plain) flour. Here, we’re using ground hazelnuts (see the recipe if you can’t get a hold of hazelnut “flour” for tips on how to make your own) and a couple of tablespoons of all-purpose flour but you can easily substitute a gluten-free all-purpose blend. The hazelnut flour makes the cakes a little more “substantial” in terms of a tighter crumb than when you use almond flour as you can see in the pic below – but they still have the signature crispy edges (my fave!).
So yeah, they’re a versatile little treat – easy to make and easy to make gluten-free. Perfect for entertaining over the holidays!
Easy financiers made with hazelnut flour and cocoa powder for a rich tea cake that you can whip up with short notice! As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.Hazelnut Chocolate Financiers
Ingredients
Instructions
tin.
heat or in the microwave for about 1 minutes). Set aside to cool.
gently fold until the dry ingredients are just combined.
spatula to gently mix until the butter is completely incorporated.
the edges are golden and slightly crispy and coming away from the pan. There may be cracks in the tops.Notes
To skin hazelnuts to grind to make hazelnut flour:
Recommended Products
Come back tomorrow for Day 11 of the 12 Days of Holiday Treats and in the meantime…
Baking up a storm this holiday season?
(this is an affiliate link, but I genuinely use Nuts.com products and love them. Highly recommended if you are in the US/ Canada where they currently ship)
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Check out 2022’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Chocolate Peppermint Creme Cups
Day 2: Chocolate-Dipped Wafer Cookies
Day 3: Gingerbread madeleines
Day 4: Funfetti Cookies
Day 5: Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Day 6: Coffee Financiers
Day 7: No-Bake Strawbery Cheesecake Cups
Day 8: Holiday Joys
Day 9: Holiday Spice Marmalade
Day 10: Soft Molasses Cookies
Day 11: Coconut Roughs
Day 12: Holiday Lights Jam Sandwich Cookies
Check out 2021’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Speculoos financiers
Day 2: Chocolate Dipped Orange Sugar Cookies
Day 3: Madeleines à la Clémentine
Day 4: Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies
Day 5: Sunbutter and Jam Chocolate Cups
Day 6: Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow Cookies
Day 7: Linzer Cookies
Day 8: Chocolate-Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies
Day 9: Choc-Mint Thumbprint Cookies
Day 10: Pailles (Puff Pastry and Jam Cookies)
Day 11: Strawberry Santa Hats
Day 12: Mulled Wine Jam
Check out 2020’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Rice Krispie Wreaths
Day 2: Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Day 3: Peppermint Bark
Day 4: Orangettes
Day 5: Rocky Road Chocolate Crackle Slice
Day 6: Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
Day 7: Orange Pim’s
Day 8: Mendiants
Day 9: Chewy Chocolate Mint Crackle Cookies
Day 10: Apricot, Coconut and Cranberry “truffles”
Day 11: Chocolate, Cherry and Almond Brownies
Day 12: Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Check out 2019’s 12 Days of Holiday Cookies:
Day 1: Easy Three Ingredient Shortbread
Day 2: Jam Drops
Day 3: Chocolate Caramel Slice
Day 4: Melting Moments
Day 5: White Christmas
Day 6: Langues de Chat
Day 7: Chocolate Coconut Slice
Day 8: Cornflake Biscuits
Day 9: Rocky Road
Day 10: Honey Joys
Day 11: Rum Ball Truffles
Day 12: Giant Florentine Cookie (to share)
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Buy my books! In the French kitchen with kids and French Food for Everyone: le goûter (after school snacks), le dîner (dinner) and le petit-déjeuner (breakfast) are out now! Click here for details and how to order!
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