Cakes & biscuits
Almond financiers with brown butter
Small almond cakes made with egg whites and nutty browned butter.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Servings / pieces
- 12
- Topic
- Cakes & biscuits
Financiers use egg whites rather than whole eggs and gain their distinctive aroma from browned butter. The milk solids toast on the bottom of the pan; the clear butterfat alone does not create that flavour. Watch closely near the end because nutty butter becomes burnt quickly. Rectangular moulds are traditional, although small muffin holes work too. Fill those more shallowly than ordinary muffins to preserve the balance between a tender centre and a gently browned edge.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Brown the butter
Melt butter over medium heat. Continue until the solids look golden and smell nutty. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl.
- 02
Mix dry ingredients
Combine almonds, icing sugar, flour and salt thoroughly. Break up larger sugar lumps.
- 03
Make batter
Lightly whisk the whites without whipping them stiff. Stir into the dry mixture, then incorporate the lukewarm browned butter.
- 04
Rest and fill
Rest for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 190°C conventional and fill greased moulds about three-quarters full.
- 05
Bake
Bake for 14–18 minutes until golden and springy in the centre. Rest in the moulds for five minutes before transferring to a rack.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Fine almonds
Coarsely ground almonds give a rougher surface. Use finely ground blanched almonds for a delicate crumb. Almond butter does not replace the dry ground nuts in this formula, because it changes both texture and fat distribution.
Using egg whites
Weigh the whites rather than relying only on the number of eggs. Egg sizes vary. Reserve yolks separately for custard or brushing enriched dough rather than adding them to this batter and changing its character. A light-coloured pan makes butter solids easier to inspect than a black coating. If foam blocks the view, briefly remove from the heat and gently swirl. Finished butter should smell pleasantly nutty; an acrid smoky smell is not the intended aroma.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
Do I whip the whites?
No. These cakes should have a close, tender almond crumb.
Should I strain brown butter?
You can, but golden solids carry flavour. Black, burnt solids should not go into the batter.
Can I use small muffin holes?
Yes. Fill shallowly and check the first batch slightly earlier. Deeply filled holes take longer and produce less browned edge in proportion to the soft middle.
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