These berry financiers by Parisian baking authority, David Lebovitz, are perfect for summertime and can be made using blackberries as well. When browning butter, which the French call beurre noisette (literally, “hazelnut butter,” but colloquially, “brown butter”), you want to get the butter rather dark so it smells like noisettes. This involves cooking it until it stops sputtering and takes on the color of maple syrup. That color is key to the flavor of these financiers.
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David Lebovitz's Berry Financiers
Makes 12 financiers
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons (98 grams) unsalted butter
- 1¾ cups (200 grams) sliced blanched almonds
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (60 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 5 tablespoons (40 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
- 4 large egg whites (120 grams)
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) almond extract
- 6 ounces (175 grams) fresh raspberries*
- Apricot jam, for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 12-cup muffin tin.
- In a sauté pan, heat the butter until it begins to sizzle. Continue to cook over low heat until the edges darken and the butter gives off a nutty flavor. It’ll sputter and splatter a bit as the water cooks off, so be careful. Remove from heat, and set aside.
- In a food processor, grind the almonds with the granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar, the flour, and the salt. While the machine is running, add the egg whites and the almond extract. Stop the machine, and add the butter, pulsing as you add it, until the butter is just mixed.
- Divide the batter evenly amongst the buttered muffin tins, and poke 3 to 4 berries into the top of each one.
- Bake until each cake is browned on top, about 18 to 20 minutes. While still warm, brush tops with apricot jam.
Notes
*Frozen berries can be used to make these. No need to defrost the berries before using.
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