Honey-Hazelnut Financiers
How did the financier get its name? The light, buttery cake was created in a bakery near the Paris Bourse, the city’s financial district, in the late 1800s. Rumor has it Left Bank pastry chefs originally formed financiers to look like bricks of gold. Next to the madeleine, these traditional tea cakes are France’s most popular afternoon dessert snack. With their soft, springy texture and golden-brown crust, financiers are the perfect ending to a delicious meal. (Image via The Wandering Eater)

Servings
12servings
Servings
12servings
Ingredients

  • 10tbsps

    Unsalted Butter

  • 1 1/4cups

    Hazelnutsskin on

  • 1/2cup

    Flour

  • 1/2tsp

    Salt

  • 1

    Vanilla Beansplit lengthwise

  • 2tbsps

    Raw Honey

  • 3

    Egg Whites

  • 3/4cup

    Brown Sugarpacked
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. Toast one cup of hazelnuts on baking sheet, tossing occasionally until golden brown, eight to 10 minutes. Let cool. Pulse hazelnuts, flour and salt in a food processor until finely ground.
  3. Place 10 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape in the seeds and add the pod. Cook gently over medium heat until the butter foams, then browns, about five to eight minutes. Discard the pod. Scrape vanilla butter into medium bowl and whisk in honey.
  4. Increase oven heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, whisk egg whites in a large bowl, add brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Fold in dry ingredients, and then fold in vanilla butter mixture until smooth.
  5. Coarsely chop remaining ¼ cup hazelnuts. Scrape batter into 12-cup muffin pan and top with hazelnuts. Bake financiers until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean). Let cool for five minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.