Chocolate Financiers Recipes

CHOCOLATE FINANCIERS (FINANCIERS AU CHOCOLAT)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 355 F/180 C. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, cocoa powder, icing (powdered) sugar, and sifted all-purpose flour and set aside. In a separate clean bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer for about 20 - 30 seconds. Add egg whites to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula. Add the cold melted butter and mix again.
• Butter cavities of a mini muffin pan. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag with the cut tip, and pipe it into molds filling up to two-thirds. Bake for 6 minutes, insert a cherry with a stem in each cake. Continue baking for the other 6 to 8 minutes until a cake tester or a toothpick comes out clean. Cool financiers in the tins for 5 minutes, then flip the mini muffin pan over to unmold cakes and let cool completely on a wire rack.

CHOCOLATE FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a financier mold (tops of mold should measure approximately 1 7/8 by 3 * inches), madeleine mold or small muffin tin with vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet. If you use individual molds, you'll need 14.
• Melt the butter over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it turns amber and smells nutty; keep warm. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat and keep warm. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Set both the pod and seeds aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the sugar and flour. Add the almonds and pistachios and mix with a wooden spoon. Add the egg whites, vanilla pod and seeds and stir vigorously. Strain a quarter of the warm butter over the mixture and stir to combine. Strain in the remaining butter and mix well; then stir in the melted chocolate.
• Let the batter cool to room temperature. Remove the vanilla pod. (The batter will hold in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
• Pour the batter almost to the top of the molds. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes; rotate the pan after 6 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet and then transfer from the mold to a baking rack.

FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almond flour evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and raise heat to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl with browned bits. Let cool.
• Combine flours and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Add whites, and beat on medium speed until combined and sugar is incorporated. With machine running, pour in browned butter (with brown bits) in a slow, steady stream. Continue to beat for 3 minutes. Batter can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Coat a cast-iron pan with oil or cooking spray, and fill halfway with batter. Bake until dark gold (time will vary depending on size of pan). Remove from oven, and immediately transfer financiers from pan to a wire rack. Let cool. Coat each with glaze if desired, or serve immediately.

TOASTED ALMOND-COCONUT FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup mini-muffin tin.
• On a rimmed baking sheet, spread out the coconut and almond flour, side by side. Toast until both are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through and keeping a close watch at the end. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
• Use your fingertips to grind the coconut with the almond flour to break it down into small pieces. Add the sugar, flour and salt, and whisk to combine.
• Whisk in the egg whites and almond extract, then the melted butter.
• Divide the batter evenly among the greased cups. (A small cookie scoop makes easy work of this task.) Tap the pan on the countertop to smooth the tops.
• Bake until the cakes spring back when pressed gently in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Pop them out of the tin, using a small offset spatula or knife to loosen the edges if needed, and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
• Melt the chocolate and oil together in a small bowl in short, 10-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate and oil over a double boiler on the stove.)
• Dip half of each financier in the chocolate and set on a rack until set, at least 30 minutes.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE FINANCIER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment or waxed paper round. Melt 3/4 cup butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until light brown, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool.
• Meanwhile, sift flour, cocoa, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk egg whites in large bowl to blend. Add sugar; whisk to blend. Whisk in corn syrup and vanilla. Add flour mixture; whisk just to blend. Add ground almonds; whisk just to blend. Using whisk, fold in browned butter, then chopped chocolate. Divide batter between prepared pans, smoothing tops.
• Bake cakes until firm to touch and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool cakes on rack 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; peel off paper. Cool completely.
• Place chocolate in small metal bowl. Bring cream to boil in small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, gently whisking to blend between additions, adding as little air as possible. Transfer 2/3 cup ganache to heatproof 1-cup measure with spout. Place bowl with remaining ganache over bowl of ice water. Stir until semi-firm and thick enough to spread. Set aside for filling.
• Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place rack on sheet. Place 1 cake, flat side down, on rack. Strain apricot jam into small skillet; bring to boil. Spoon warm jam over cake, spreading evenly almost to edge. Let cool 5 minutes. Drop filling by teaspoonfuls all over cake, then spread in even layer. Place second cake atop filling, bottom side up. If glaze is too firm to pour, rewarm in microwave at low power in 15-second increments until pourable. Pour over cake, allowing glaze to drip down sides and using offset spatula to spread glaze evenly over sides of cake. Chill cake 2 hours. Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome; keep chilled.
• Arrange sliced almonds atop cake.

FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• In a bowl, sift together the almond powder, powdered sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, using a whisk or handheld mixer, beat the whites until stiff peaks form. (Or, use a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment.)
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer or a wooden spoon and some stamina), beat the butter until creamy and soft. Add the egg yolks, ne at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the almond extract. Then add the dry ingredients, beating just until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be a bit stiff. On low speed, slowly add half of the whipped whites, mixing just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whites.
• Spoon the mixture into the molds. You want the batter in each mold to be 1 to 1 1/2 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) deep. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the center is bouncy. If you stick it with a knife, it will always be greasy. The best way to test is to press the center with your finger. If it bounces back rather than sinks, it's ready. If you are using paper molds, leave and serve. If you are using metal molds, remove the cakes from the molds and let cool on wire racks. Serve at room temperature.
• Substitute hazelnut powder for the almond powder. You need to toast the hazelnut powder before using it. Spread it on a rimmed baking sheet, place in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven, and set the timer for 5 minutes so you don't forget about it. Stir it with fork occasionally so it toasts evenly. It is ready when it smells like a Belgian chocolate store. Pour it into a bowl and let it cool completely before using, then sift with the other ingredients as directed in the recipe. This version is delicious with a few apricot halves gently pushed into the top of the cake batter before baking.
• When the big Italian grapes arrive in the market in their foam-padded wooden crates, it's an exciting time. Press them into the cake batter before baking, just like the apricots above.
• Simmer thick orange slices in simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water; dissolve the sugar in the water) for 1 hour. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) Irish whiskey to the batter with the almond extract, and press the orange slices into the top of the cake batter before baking.
• Whisk 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter into the batter before adding the egg yolks. Sink 15 red candied peanuts (French burnt peanuts) into the top of each cake before baking.
• Whisk 2 tablespoons pistachio paste into the batter before adding the egg yolks. Dust the top of the cake batter with chopped pistachios before baking.
• Peel, halve, and core apples. Place cut side up on a small baking sheet, top each half with a pat of unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon sugar, and bake in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 15 minutes, or until browned and puffy. Gently press an apple half, rounded side down, into the top of each cake before baking.
• Take a handful of bold-colored, sugar-coated almonds and crush them with a rolling pin. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) Strega, anisette, or alkermes (sometimes spelled alchermes, a typical Tuscan liqueur) to the batter with the almond extract. Dust the top of the cake batter with the crushed almonds before baking.