Pistachio and Raspberry Financiers

This pistachio and raspberry financier is the sequel following the success of Dorie’s matcha financier from her book Baking Chez Moi. The story goes that these French almond cookies were the pick-me-ups, eaten out of hand for the stockbrokers set toward the end of the nineteenth century. Hence the name financiers. The batter has not changed much. Now financiers are widely available outside of France. Here in NYC, they take on many creative adaptations that I can’t help but goggle with fascination.

Ingredients: In its classic form, these are simple almond cookies. Leavened by egg whites, moistened with browned butter and baked into small rectangular molds. Like little blocks of gold. The batter has a rough ratio of 1:1:1:1 of butter, flour, sugar and egg white. In other words, a recipe making 10 financiers calls for 100 grams of butter to start. About 100 grams of almond meal and all-purpose flour combined, 100 grams of sugar and 100 grams of egg whites.

Departing from this formula, Dorie tells us to use shelled pistachio and ground it in the food processor. Chucks of green-flesh pistachio are visible, giving the finished financiers a more rustic and coarse texture. There are equal portions of pistachio and all-purpose flour in the batter. To accentuate the green tone, I added matcha green tea powder in the mix. As always, I use less sugar than required.

Brown Butter: By and large, the brown butter “beurre noisette” is what gives financiers that rich buttery and nutty flavor. However, Dorie suggests cooking the butter over medium heat until it melts and only just begins to take on a pale golden color. After tasting the finished pistachio financiers, I believe that it’s worthwhile to take the brown butter all the way until dark sediments appear on the bottom of the pan. Well, next time if you like a more pronounced buttery taste.

Resting the Batter: Dorie says to rest the batter for at least 8 hours to up to two days. The long rest time differs from most financier recipes. Don’t know whether this is a necessary step or not. All I can see is that the batter becomes firmer and the resting helps the flavor to meld.

Baking: Bake the pistachio and raspberry financiers batter for 24 to 28 minutes in a 350°F oven. I have to double check these numbers. Because they are quite different from the 12 to 14 minutes at 400°F for the matcha financiers we made last time.

In the end, the longer baking time at lower temperature produces financiers which have a harder crust, brown edges on the outside and moist and nutty inside. These are best eaten freshly baked on the day.

Print Recipe

Pistachio and Raspberry Financiers | Baking Chez Moi

By Dorie Greenspan – Serves: 36 mini

The traditional mold is rectangular and each has a capacity of about 3 tablespoons. Here the recipe gives you the option to bake the financiers in mini muffin pans. It's a different look, but delicious nonetheless.

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons, 6 oz, 170 g, 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup, 3 1/2 oz, 99 g shelled pistachios (raw and unsalted)
• 1 cup, 200 g sugar
• 2/3 cup, 90 g all-purpose flour
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon matcha green tea (optional)
• 1 cup, 1/2 pint, 123 g fresh raspberries

Instructions

1

MELT BUTTER: Put butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it melts and only just begins to take on a pale golden color. Pour the butter into a measuring cup with a sprout and set aside.

2

BEAT EGG WHITE: Use a fork to stir the egg whites in a small bowl just enough to break them up; set aside.

3

PROCESS PISTACHIOS AND SUGAR: In a food processor, pulse pistachios and sugar until the nuts are ground. Don't overdo it. It's better to have a chunk here and there than to end up with a nuts paste.

4

ADD DRY INGREDIENTS: Add flour, salt and matcha to the nut mixture, if using, and whir to blend in the food processor. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

5

ADD EGG WHITES TO THE NUT MIXTURE: Pour the egg whites into the bowl. Using a whisk or a flexible spatula, stir gently until they're blended into the nut mixture.

6

ADD BUTTER TO THE BATTER: Gradually and gently blend the butter into the batter. You might think you've got so much butter that the batter won't be able to absorb it, but keep stirring lightly and you'll have a thick, shiny batter.

7

CHILL THE BATTER: Press a piece of plastic film against the surface of the batter and chill for at lease 8 hours. The batter can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.

8

PREHEAT THE OVEN: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

9

FILL MOLDS WITH BATTER: Butter the molds of a mini muffing pan (each having a capacity of 2 tablespoons) and dust with flour and tap out the excess. Place the molds on a baking sheet. Fill each muffin cup to the halfway point with the chilled batter. (Return any remaining batter to the fridge until you're ready to make the next batch.) Place 1 raspberry in the center of each cup.

10

BAKE: Bake the financiers for 24 to 28 minutes, rotating the pan at the midway point. Bake until they start to come away from the sides of the molds. Their tops should be spongy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a financier should come out clean. Run a table knife around the edges of the cookies to detach the from the pan, then unmold them onto a rack. Turn them right side up to cool to room temperature.

Notes

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking Chef Moi