Cherry and Roasted Almond Financiers
A perfect little summer cake that is rich with almonds and juicy cherries. They also happen to be gluten free if you make them with rice flour, though are equally successful made with regular all-purpose flour. I always grind my own nuts when using them in baking. I love the variation of texture that it brings and toasting the nuts adds another layer of depth and nuance that can be manipulated by less or more toasting.
You can use this recipe as a base for any number of fruit and nut combinations, and in the absence of fruit, chocolate is also delicious (chocolate and hazelnut? yes please). Some favorite combinations of mine are: hazelnut and blackberry; orange zest and almond; raspberry and pistachio; blueberry, lime and almond (don’t toast the almonds for a lighter finish). It is also nice to brown the butter for an enhanced subtle richness which works especially well for the hazelnut variations or when you want deep and rich rather than light and summery vibes.
As financiers are only made with egg whites, this is wonderful way to use up any whites you have from making ice cream. You can save egg whites in the freezer and they will keep perfectly for making these as the whites do not need to be whipped very much (I don’t recommend frozen egg whites for meringues as the freezing process compromises the protein structure and therefore their ability to trap and hold air.)
If you don’t have almond extract these will still be good, if you have vanilla extract add it in place of the almond. As with any time using almond extract LESS IS MORE- it is better to err on the side of too little than too much as it is so overpowering.
Always make sure your butter is cooled and not hot when making these or you will end up with dense oily cakes that are very unpleasant, this is a rule of thumb whenever you are using melted butter in any baking.
You can use a regular cupcake (patty cake) tin for these, which will give you about 12 cakes total, or you can use a mini tin, as I did in the photos, which yields about 36. Baking times will vary accordingly, I have given times but I really go for color here, I like them to be darker than I might usually bake a cake, a nut-brown gold color which ensures the top is nice and crisp while the center is soft.
Save the pits from the cherries, and make a syrup by gently boiling them with a halved cherry or two, a cup of water, half a cup of sugar and a squeeze of lemon until reduced and syrupy. You can mix with soda water and, if you are inclined, a splash of vodka, for a refreshing drink, a little fresh tarragon or mint makes an excellent addition too!
Cherry and Almond Financier
180g powdered sugar
130g almonds
120g rice flour (or all purpose flour)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
zest of 1 lemon
5 egg whites
180g butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp lemon juice
scant 1/4 tsp almond extract
about 20 cherries, halved and pitted
sugar to sprinkle, use vanilla sugar if you have some!
grease you chosen baking pans with butter and pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C (330/160 fan forced).
Toast the almonds until they are dark golden brown and fragrant. Cool and then grind in a food processor until they resemble fine bread crumbs.
Place all of the dry ingredients, including the zest, together in a bowl and whisk well. Make a well in the center and set aside.
Using a fork, lightly beat the egg whites until a little frothy, this will only take a minute or two, you are just looking for froth on top.
Add the egg whites, the melted butter, lemon juice and almond extract to the center of the dry mix and mix together until well combined.
Spoon the mixture into the greased pans, filling each about 2/3 full. Top with cherries, 2 or 3 for the regular size, 1 for the small. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar over the cherries and then place into the oven to bake. The small cakes will take about 12-15 minutes, the large about 25-30. the cakes are done when they are dark golden or but brown on the top. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then remove to cool on a plate.
