Financiers are perfect little French cakes made with almond flour, browned butter and vanilla. The cakes are rich, flavorful and very, very satisfying.

Here is yet another traditional French pastry recipe that I just adore.

Like Sablé cookies and Madeleines, this recipe requires just a few basic ingredients and no special technique. The batter comes together in mere minutes and you do not need a mixer or any special equipment.

The wonderfully dense texture of these cakes is thanks to the egg whites in the batter. Without enriching yolks, the whites give an every so slightly chewy texture to these little gems.

I’m warning you that it’s very hard to eat just one.

Scroll through the process photos to see how to make Financiers in a traditional mold or in a mini muffin pan:

two photos showing how to make browned butter — 1. Cook the butter until the milk solids brown. 2. Skim the foam and pour the browned butter into a bowl, leaving the milk solids in the pan.

three photos showing how to make financier batter — 1. Add the egg whites to the dry ingredients. 2. Add the browned butter. 3. Stir until smooth.

showing financiers before and after baking — 1. Fill traditional financier molds 2/3 full. 2. Bake until the center springs back and the edges are golden brown.

showing cherry financiers before and after baking — 1. Fill mini muffin pans 2/3 full. Press a berry or cherry on top. 2. Bake until the cake springs back and the edges are golden brown.

Now that you’ve made this recipe what should you do with the extra yolks? Check out this collection of recipes that use extra yolks for some great ideas.

We love French Pastries. Here are more recipes for you to try: Pate a Choux, Chocolate Marveilluex, Baba au Rhum, Marjolaine, Kouign-Amann, Caneles, Macarons, and a romantic Coeur a la Creme.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.

Financiers

Name: Financiers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: baked goods
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons (3 oz, 85g) unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup (4oz, 112g) almond flour; 3/4 cup (6 oz, 170g) granulated sugar; 1/3 cup (1 1/2 oz, 45g) all purpose flour; 1/8 teaspoon table salt; 4 large egg whites

Yield: 16-24 cakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Financiers are made with almond flour and browned butter for a rich and satisfying snack. Bake them in the traditional rectangle mold or in a mini muffin pan.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons (3 oz, 85g) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (4oz, 112g) almond flour
3/4 cup (6 oz, 170g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (1 1/2 oz, 45g) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon table salt
4 large egg whites

Instructions

Generously butter and flour 8 financier pans or 24 mini muffin pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium high heat. Continue cooking until the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan and turn golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Skim off the foam on the surface and pour the butter into a small bowl, leaving the browned solids in the pan. Add the vanilla and set the browned butter aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, use a hand whisk to combine the almond flour, sugar, all purpose flour and salt.
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir in the egg whites. Mix until there are no lumps. Stir in the browned butter.
Fill the molds 2/3 full. Bake until a cake springs back when the center is pressed and they are golden brown around the edges. Bake time will vary based on the pan used, estimate 15-20 minutes.

Notes

You can press a single berry into the top of the mini muffins or place 2-3 berries on the top of the traditional financier before baking. I like to use halved cherries, raspberries or blueberries.