Read Rose's Heavenly Cakes Online
Authors: Rose Levy Beranbaum
Rose's Heavenly Cakes (57 page)
Though the classic financier never used baking powder, some chefs now like to add a little to lighten the texture slightly. All chefs agree, however, that it is ideal to make financiers within hours of serving so that they retain their soft springy texture and thin crisp crusts (though they are still delicious even after five days in the refrigerator). Five seconds in the microwave is enough to soften the butter and restore the soft inside texture.
Highlights for Success
Silicone pans
are ideal for baking financiers because they keep the cakes exceptionally moist. If the pan has three rows, the middle row will bake at the same rate as the others, but the mold must be set on a wire rack for best air circulation. Then set the rack on a baking sheet to make it easier to remove it from the oven.
If you have enough molds
, it is easiest if you scrape the batter into a bowl or cup with a spout and pour the batter into each mold. If you don't have enough molds, you can pour the remaining batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8- to ½-inch round pastry tube or a freezer-weight reasealable plastic bag and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or overnight. If refrigerated for more than 1 hour, it will be soft enough to pipe, but it should sit for 30 minutes in the molds at room temperature before baking. (Alternatively, you can spoon the batter into the molds, but piping is quicker and easier.) The molds should be filled about half full (1 ounce/30 grams in each for the standard-size 3 by 1 by 1¼-inch-high molds (¼ cup/2 fluid ounces; see information on silicone financier pans under
Unusual Baby Pan Shapes
).
Special Tips from Renowned Pastry Chef Jean François Bonnet
Jean François uses
top-quality butter
, but he confided that before he found one to his liking, he added about ¼ cup heavy cream to 3 pounds butter at the beginning of clarifying. The added milk solids provided special sweetness.
Since
beurre noisette
plays perhaps the most significant role in the flavor of this pastry, Jean François controls the degree of browning by taking the butter's temperature. For the basic financier, he brings the beurre noisette to 275°F/135°C; for the chocolate financier, a darker 280°F/138°C. He cautions you to discard a batch that has gone too far and turned black because it will lend an unpleasantly bitter taste. (Note from me: It is very difficult to take the temperature of such small amounts of beurre noisette, but if making it in larger quantities, this is useful information. In fact, it is a good idea to make the beurre noisette in larger quantities because it will keep refrigerated for at least a year. It is best not to use a microwave to make beurre noisette because even with high butter-fat butter, the water tends to "burble" up and explode out of the container.)
Whisk the beurre noisette constantly as it cooks and darkens to distribute the flavor of the browning solids throughout the butter.
Jean François advises that
when adding the butter to the batter
, be sure the butter is hot in order for it to cook the flour; this results in a more mellow flavor.
Jean François
prefers unblanched almonds
for more flavor and better texture: The skin makes the financiers slightly more cakey and less oily. He uses whole almonds for one-quarter of the almonds and pulses them in the food processor with the flour to give the financiers more texture.
Jean François
lets the batter sit at room temperature
in the molds before baking if it has been refrigerated overnight so that it softens, producing a lighter texture. He also suggests freezing leftover baked financiers, then thawing them in the refrigerator and recrisping them briefly in a 350°F/175°C oven.
sixteen 3 by 1 by 1¼-inch-high financiers
18 to 20 minutes
Drew Shotts of Garrison Confections in Central Falls, Rhode Island, promised me the most melt-in-your-mouth financiers, and these are just that! They are unique in that they contain butter in two different melted forms: browned clarified butter (beurre noisette) and whole melted butter. The recipe can be multiplied and made in several batches.
Plan Ahead
Make the batter at least 1 hour ahead.
Volume | Ounce | Gram | |
sliced almonds, preferably unblanched | 2/3 | 2.3 | 66 |
unsalted butter (65° to 75°F/19° to 23°C) | 11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons), divided | 5.5 | 156 |
superfine sugar | ¾ cup | 5.3 | 150 |
pastry flour (or Wondra flour) | ½ cup, sifted into the cup and leveled off (or ¼ cup, lightly spooned into the cup and leveled off, plus 2 tablespoons) | 1.7 | 50 |
baking powder | ¾ teaspoon | . | . |
4 large egg whites, at room temperature | ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) | 4.2 | 120 |
pure vanilla extract | ¼ teaspoon | . | . |
Special Equipment
Financier mold(s), preferably silicone, 3 by 1 by 1¼ inches high (¼ cup/2 fluid ounces capacity), coated with baking spray with flour. If silicone, set it on a wire rack and then on a baking sheet. | A pastry bag fitted with a 3/8- to ½-inch round pastry tube (optional)
Preheat the Oven
Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
Toast the Almonds
Spread the almonds evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes, or until pale golden. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. Cool completely.
Clarify and Brown Part of the Butter (Beurre Noisette)
Have ready a fine-mesh strainer, or a strainer lined with cheesecloth, suspended over a heatproof glass measure. In a small heavy saucepan, heat 6 tablespoons/3 ounces/85 grams of the butter over low heat until melted. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and watching carefully to prevent burning, until the milk solids turn deep brown. Immediately pour the butter through the strainer into the heatproof measure. Measure 4 tablespoons/1.7 ounces/50 grams into another glass measure and set it in a warm spot, or reheat the beurre noisette when ready to add it to the batter. Store any remaining beurre noisette in the refrigerator for at least a year.
Melt the Remaining Butter
In a small heavy saucepan, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons/2.5 ounces/71 grams of butter over low heat. Pour the melted butter into a heatproof glass measure and set it in a warm spot, or reheat it when ready to add it to the batter.
Grind the Almonds
In a food processor, process the toasted almonds and sugar until very fine. Stop the motor and scrape down the sides a few times to ensure that all the almonds are processed to a fine powder.
Make the Batter
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the almond mixture, flour, and baking powder on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the egg whites and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds, or until well mixed. Add the vanilla and beat for a few seconds to incorporate evenly.
On medium-low speed, drizzle in the hot beurre noisette and then the hot melted butter. It should take about 5 minutes to complete the process, giving the mixture a chance to emulsify completely into a smooth golden cream.
Fill the Molds
The molds should be filled about half full (1 ounce/30 grams in each for the standard-size mold). If you have enough molds, it is easiest if you scrape the mixture into a bowl or cup with a spout and pour the batter into each mold. If you don't have enough molds, you can pour the remaining batter into the pastry bag, if using, or freezer-weight resealable plastic bag with one corner cut and refrigerate it for a minimum of 1 hour or up to overnight. If refrigerated for more than 1 hour, it will still be soft enough to pipe, but it should sit for 30 minutes in the molds at room temperature before baking. (Alternatively, you can spoon the batter into the molds, but piping is quicker and easier.)
Preheat the Oven
Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
Bake the Financiers
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and the financiers spring back when pressed lightly in the centers.
Cool and Unmold the Financiers
Let the financiers cool completely in the silicone molds on a wire rack before unmolding. To unmold, push out each financier with your finger pressed against the bottom of the mold. If using a metal mold, set it on a wire cooling rack and cool 5 minutes before unmolding. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the molds and the financiers, pressing firmly against the molds. Invert them onto a wire rack and reinvert them onto another rack. Cool completely. The financiers keep, wrapped airtight in plastic wrap in an airtight container, for 3 days at room temperature, for 5 days refrigerated, and for several months frozen.
fifteen 3 by 1 by 1¼-inch-high financiers
18 to 20 minutes
Moist, tender, sparkling, and intriguingly bittersweet, with their extra chocolate flavor punch and crunch of caramelized cacao nibs, these are the best chocolate financiers I've ever encountered. I discovered them and their creator, Jean François Bonnet, owner of Tumbador, a chocolate bar in Brooklyn, when he was pastry chef at New York's Monkey Bar.
Nibs are the unsweetened chopped roasted cacao beans before they are processed into chocolate. Some people find their flavor rather bitter. However, Zach Townsend came up with the idea of caramelizing them. This way you can enjoy the sweet crunch and deep chocolate aroma of a chocolate factory. This recipe can be multiplied and made in several batches.
Plan Ahead
Make the batter at least 1 hour ahead.
Volume | Ounce | Gram | |
sliced almonds, preferably unblanched | ½ cup | 1.7 | 50 |
unsalted butter, preferably high fat (65° to 75°F/19° to 23°C) | 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) | 6 | 170 |
bleached all-purpose flour | ¼ cup (sifted into the cup and leveled off) plus 1 tablespoon | 1.2 | 35 |
cornstarch | 1½ teaspoons | . | . |
unsweetened (alkalized) cocoa powder | 2 tablespoons (sifted before measuring) | . | 10 |
4 large egg whites, at room temperature | ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) | 4.2 | 120 |
superfine sugar | ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons | 4.5 | 125 |
Caramelized Cacao Nibs (optional) | 4 teaspoons | 0.5 | 12 |
Special Equipment
Financier mold(s), preferably silicone, 3 by 1 by 1¼ inches high (¼ cup/2 fluid ounces capacity), coated with baking spray with flour. If silicone, set it on a wire rack and then on a baking sheet. | Pastry bag fitted with a 3/8- to ½-inch round pastry tube (optional)
Preheat the Oven
Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
Toast the Almonds
Spread the almonds evenly on a baking sheet and bake them for about 7 minutes, or until pale golden. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. Cool completely.
Clarify and Brown the Butter (Beurre Noisette)
Have ready a fine-mesh strainer, or strainer lined with cheesecloth, suspended over a heatproof glass measure.
In a small heavy saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and watching carefully to prevent burning, until the milk solids turn deep brown.
Immediately pour the butter through the strainer into the heatproof measure. You should have 10 tablespoons/4.5 ounces/125 grams. Set in a warm spot, or reheat the beurre noisette when ready to add it to the batter.