The almond-scented French cakes known as financiers are traditionally baked in small rectangular shapes meant to resemble bars of gold. Unless you’re loaded, you likely don’t have 12 fancy, expensive French rectangular baking molds lying around, so I’ve adapted this recipe for baking in a standard-size muffin tin, which works beautifully—and won’t lead you to finanicial ruin.

　　

Ingredients

makes 12 small cakes

　　7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces/105 g) unsalted butter

　　1 3/4 cups (140 g) sliced almonds, preferably blanched

　　1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

　　1/2 cup (70 g) powdered sugar

　　5 tablespoons (45 g) all-purpose flour

　　1/8 teaspoon salt

　　4 large egg whites

　　1/2 teaspoon almond extract

　　1 1/4 cups (6 ounces/170 g) blackberries

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin.

　　

Step 2

In a medium skillet, warm the butter over low heat. It will bubble and sizzle for a while before it settles down. Continue to cook over low heat until the butter darkens to the color of maple syrup and smells toasty but not burnt. Remove from the heat and set aside.

　　

Step 3

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, grind the almonds with the granulated and powdered sugars, flour, and salt. With the motor running, gradually pour in the egg whites and almond extract. Pour in the warm brown butter, leaving behind any blackened bits in the pan, and mix until the batter is smooth.

　　

Step 4

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Press 3 or 4 blackberries into the batter in each cup. Bake until the cakes are puffy and deep golden brown, about 18 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Let cool for 10 minutes, then tip the cakes out onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

　　

Serving

Step 6

Financiers are mostly enoyed as snack cakes. To dress them up as desserts, serve them with a bit of Blackberry Sauce (page 248) or Mango Sauce (page 246) and dollops of crème fraîche.

　　

Storage

Step 7

Some folks swear that financier batter is best if refrigerated overnight before baking. I’ve tested that theory and haven’t noticed any difference. But if you’d like to try it for yourself, the batter can be kept for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Store the cooled baked financiers in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

　　

Variations

Step 8

Substitute peach, nectarine, or plum slices for the blackberries (you may want to peel the peaches first). Cut the fruit into 1/2-inch (1.5-cm) slices and press a few into the batter in each muffin cup before baking.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.