La Famille gives these sweet petits fours new personality by adding cumin. To make them, we started with Faye Levy's recipe, from our October 1990 issue.

　　Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

　　

Ingredients

Makes 24 cookies

　　1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons blanched slivered almonds (3 ounces)

　　1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

　　6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

　　1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　4 large egg whites

　　1/8 teaspoon almond extract

　　1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, plus additional for buttering barquette tins

　　1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

　　

Special Equipment

12 (1/8-cup) barquette tins

　　

Step 1

Finely grind almonds with 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor and transfer to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan. Whisk in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, then whisk in flour, ground cumin, and salt until combined well. Add whites and almond extract and whisk to combine well.

　　

Step 2

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Butter barquette tins using a pastry brush and softened butter.

　　

Step 3

Melt stick of butter in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then cook until butter is golden brown and has a nutty fragrance, 12 to 15 minutes. Heat almond mixture over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until just warm to the touch, then remove from heat and add butter in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Let batter stand, uncovered, 5 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Stir batter, then spoon 2 tablespoons into each buttered tin, filling them three-fourths full. Sprinkle with half of cumin seeds. Put tins on a baking sheet and bake until financiers are firm to the touch and edges are golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks to cool completely. Stir batter and make 12 more financiers in same manner, sprinkling with remaining cumin seeds before baking.