Makes 9
INGREDIENTS
- 170g unsalted butter
- 120g ground almonds (or any of your favourite nuts)
- 40g flour
- 4 egg whites
- 140g icing sugar, sifted
TO FINISH
- 30g 70% dark chocolate
- 30g 47% ruby chocolate
- 50g pistachios, shelled and chopped
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/ Gas Mark 3.
2 Prepare a nine-cavity financier mould. Financiers are best made in silicone moulds, but if using a metal mould, prepare by brushing the cavities with a little melted butter.
3 In a small saucepan, melt the butter and continue to cook on a low heat, watching carefully, until you have a beurre noisette (once butter has started to brown and foam slightly). Then remove from the heat.
4 In a mixing jug, combine ground almonds and flour. Whisk the egg whites with the icing sugar into a soft peak meringue. Gently fold in the almonds and flour with a spatula, until well combined. Slowly incorporate the melted noisette butter and continue to fold with the spatula until all is thoroughly mixed.
5 Pour the batter into the moulds; each should be two-thirds full. Bake the financiers for 20-25 minutes, until the little cakes are golden and firm to touch. Cool on a wire rack.
6 Melt both chocolates in separate bowls over simmering water. Decorate the cooled cakes one by one, dipping half of each financier into the dark chocolate, then drizzling with ruby chocolate as shown. Top with chopped pistachios and set aside until the chocolate has hardened.
7 Store in an airtight container, for no longer than two days.
Recipe by Knoops