High Finance?

Not with money but with a tea cake.     How can a tea cake be "High Finance" --  why when it's French and it's called a Financier!

Baked, of course, in it's own special pan!

Called Financier because the tea cake is said to have originated in the Financial District of Paris and the baker who came up with the idea of financiers baked them in special molds to look like gold ingots.   And some say that it is a "cousin" to the madeleine.

I've always been intrigued with the little cakes although I've never tasted one and then I got brave and ordered a financier mold.

Which came yesterday.  

The cakes are little almond tea cakes and are not too sweet.    A perfect nosh with a cup of coffee or tea.

I found a recipe I liked and made the cakes.    They were easy, no mixer required.    And made six perfect little cakes.

Looking like little gold bars lined up on a Spode sandwich plate (which echoes the shape of the financier).

They're a great way to use egg whites if you've just made an egg yolk dish and you can bake them in mini muffin tins although they won't be the proper shape.   I even read somewhere about baking them in individual brioche molds.

I had company for lunch today and they were a perfect accompaniment to the creme brûlée that I served for dessert (which is why I had the egg whites).

The two leftovers were perfect for my afternoon tea.

For a person who dislikes "uni - taskers" in the kitchen I do like my French "specialty" pans!!!     I also can see little golden "ingots" of cornbread baked in these pans!

FINANCIERS

1 cup plus 2 T. flour

1 cup plus 2 T. powdered sugar

1/2 c. ground almond meal

pinch salt

2 egg whites

3 ounces butter, melted

1/2 t. almond extract

Preheat oven to 400.

Grease the financier pan with soft butter.    Set aside.

Measure flour, powdered sugar, almond meal and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir together until completely mixed.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the egg whites.    Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients into a smooth paste.   (This may take a little elbow grease).

Add the melted butter to the batter along with the almond extract.    Carefully stir the batter until all of the butter is incorporated and the batter is smooth.

Place several heaping tablespoons of batter into each mold.    They should be about 3/4 full.

Place the filled pan in the preheated oven and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.    Lower the oven temperature to 350 and bake for five more minutes.   Turn the oven off and leave the financiers in the closed oven for two more minutes.    Remove from the oven and allow to cool to warm before releasing from the pan.