These glossy, sticky, chocolate coated hazelnut financiers are the perfect afternoon indulgence. I know it may seem like I have a chocolate hazelnut obsession, ( Chocolate Hazelnut Torte, Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbreads, Chocolate Hazelnut Tart) but it’s just such a great flavor combination – I personally blame Nutella for fostering this flavor addiction during my formative years. Financiers (not people who ‘do’ finance) in case you are wondering are just fancy French cakes. Don’t let the fanciness put you off though as they are really easy to make. They are simply a sponge made of egg whites, sugar and nuts. As they are yolk free, they are great to make if you have some spare egg whites in your fridge. I have been making a lot of ice-cream lately, so these were the perfect excuse to use up my egg whites. Financiers are traditionally made with ground almonds, but I find hazelnuts make for a much richer cake. Financiers generally aren’t glazed, but I couldn’t resist covering them in rich boozy chocolate ganache and getting some extra hazelnuts on there. You could serve them plain without the glaze, but they are hundred times tastier with the chocolate and nuts on top. So, I guess when you think about, these aren’t really financiers at all – Maybe I should re-title it to Chocolate Hazelnut Fauxnanciers (I’ll just get my coat! )
Ingredients
- 110g of butter
- 150g of powdered sugar
- 60g of hazelnut flour
- 40g of all-purpose white flour
- 4 large egg whites
- A few drops of vanilla extract
Glaze
- 40g of dark chocolate
- 50ml of cream
- 1 tablespoon of brandy / rum
- 20g of roasted hazelnuts, chopped
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 F /180 C.
- Grease 6 mini tartlet dishes with a little butter.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and then cook untll it turns to a pale golden, almost brown color. It should smell of toasted nuts. Take off the heat and pour into a pyrex bowl to cool it.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, hazelnut flour, and white flour with a spoon.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites together using a hand whisk or an electric whisk on the lowest setting for about 2 minutes.
- Pour the egg whites into the flour and beat together until all the ingredients are combined. It should take about 2 minutes.
- Continue to whisk, and gradually add the melted butter as you are mixing. It should take another 2 minutes.
- Finally, add the vanilla and mix together. You should have a wet floury mixture.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the 6 tartlet dishes.
- Place the financiers in the oven and cook for 15 – 20 minutes. To test if they are done, gently press the center of the cakes with your index finger. If the cake springs back, they are done.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Once the financiers are fully cooled, remove them from the tartlet tins.
- To make the glaze, melt the chocolate and the cream in a small bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.
- Once the chocolate has fully melted, stir in the alcohol and mix well with a spoon.
- Using a silicone brush, paint the financiers with the chocolate glaze.
- Scatter the roasted nuts over the financiers.
- Serve on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
