Recipe from Gateaux by Mori Yoshida
These financiers celebrate the delightful taste of hazelnuts, which I discovered in France. Their bright fragrance and intense flavor inspired me to create a recipe that would show them off. I added Piedmont hazelnuts to the ingredients list, along with natural hazelnut flour, including the nut skins. My goal was to bring out the nut’s fragrance and highlight its sweetness.
EQUIPMENT
instant-read thermometer
silicone financier mold, cavities 4 ¾ inches long × 1 ½ inches high x 1 inch deep
(12 × 4 cm × 2.5 cm)
FINANCIER BATTER
30 G shelled hazelnuts
120 G unsalted butter
180 G egg whites (about 6 whites from large eggs)
180 g confectioners’ sugar
4 G fleur de sel
120 G hazelnut flour
60 G all-purpose flour (T55)
Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast them for 10 minutes.
Prepare brown butter in a saucepan: melt the butter over low heat and cook until it turns a light golden brown. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together the egg whites, confectioners’ sugar, and fleur de sel. Heat this mixture in a small bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water until it reaches 104 °F (40 °C).
Sift together both flours. Coarsely chop the toasted hazelnuts. Add the flours, chopped hazelnuts, and brown butter to the egg white mixture. Mix well with a spatula to emulsify the batter. Let rest at room temperature for 2 hours. During this time, the batter will release air bubbles, leading to a more stable baking.
Preheat an oven to 340°F (170°C). Place the financier mold on a baking sheet. Lightly grease the molds with butter and fill to the top with batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden.
TIP
Our financier contains pieces of hazelnut and has a relatively high salt content to accentuate the flavor contrasts. I also use a mold that is deeper than traditional financier molds to create height and, as a result, achieve a crispy exterior and soft interior. I suggest serving them slightly cooled, because that is when they are at their best—hence the advantage of making them at home.
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