Ingredients:

  • 170g (6 oz or 3/4 cup) Unsalted Butter, high quality
  • 150g (1 ½ cups) Finely Ground Almond Flour (Blanched)
  • 180g (7/8 cup) Granulated Sugar
  • 40g (1/4 cup) All-Purpose Flour (or use an extra 40g of Almond Flour for fully GF)
  • 1 tsp (5g) Baking Powder
  • Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
  • 4 large Egg Whites (approx. 120g/4 oz) – room temperature
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Zest of 1 Lemon (optional, but lovely)
  • 100g (3.5 oz) Fresh Raspberries (or mixed berries)
  • A dusting of Icing Sugar (Confectioners' Sugar) for serving

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease and flour (or line) your financier moulds or muffin tin.
  2. Make the Brown Butter (Beurre Noisette): Melt the 170g butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell distinctly nutty. Immediately remove from heat and pour the warm butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Let it cool slightly for about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour (if using), baking powder, and salt. Whisk briefly to ensure all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  4. Mix Batter: Stir the room-temperature egg whites, vanilla extract, and lemon zest (if using) into the dry mixture until just combined. The batter will be thick at this stage.
  5. Incorporate Butter: Gradually stream the slightly cooled brown butter into the batter while stirring continuously. Mix gently until the batter is smooth and homogeneous. Do not overmix.
  6. Chill and Rest: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the batter for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. This resting period allows the almond flour to fully hydrate and is crucial for achieving a moist, fine crumb.
  7. Fill and Bake: Spoon the chilled batter into the prepared moulds, filling each about three-quarters full. Gently press 2-3 raspberries into the top of each cake. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  8. Cool and Serve: Let the financiers cool in the moulds for 5 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Just before serving, dust the cakes lightly with icing sugar.