Pistachio Teacakes (French Pistachier)
A financier is a small French almond teacake made with brown (hazelnut) butter and baked in a special financier mold. Most of the classic financiers are made with almond flour, sometimes adding hazelnut flour, but this financier recipe also uses ground pistachios. That is why such a type of financier cake is called Pistachier in France. Keep this pistachio financier recipe on hand, which requires a hands-on time of just 20 minutes to make the amazingly easy and delicious pistachio financiers. Put a kettle on and treat yourself, your family and friends with one or two of these fluffy cakes. Enjoy these brown butter French financiers. Their texture is amazing; their taste is beyond delicious. These financier cakes are perfect for your afternoon pick me up or as finger food while entertaining.
Nuns baked similar cakes called visitandines in the middle ages. Later, in 1890, a Parisian pastry chef Lasne created cakes "financiers" in the shape of gold bullion for the financiers who worked in his neighborhood, near the Place de la Bourse in Paris. So, rich financiers were the primary customers and consumers of those cakes. In France, financiers have been known for more than 100 years. However, in America, they have recently begun serving clients at some restaurants. The authentic financiers have a rectangular shape resembling a rectangle gold bar, and they are baked in a special financier mold. Most of them are made of silicone, which is very convenient because you do not need to grease them. If you use a carbon steel mold, you will need to butter each cavity. You can bake financiers in a mini muffin pan, filling each cavity up to two-third. The cakes will not have the authentic rectangular shape, but they'll taste the same. Depending upon the size of your muffin mold, you may need to adjust the baking time, adding a few more minutes.
Batter:
⅓ cup + 4 tsp. almond flour (40 g)
⅔ cup + 4½ Tbsp. confectioners' sugar (120 g)
½ cup + 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached (70 g)
2.6 oz raw pistachios, ground (75 g)
1 tsp. baking powder
5.3 oz butter (150 g)
⅔ cup egg whites (160 g)
1½ Tbsp. granulated sugar (20 g)
1 pinch sea salt
Decoration:
chopped raw pistachios
Make the Brown Butter:
Melt unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once it is ready (look for the brown colour, hazelnut smell and brown solids at the bottom of the pan), pour the butter in another bowl to stop cooking. Let it cool for 10 minutes (some dark bits will remain in the butter, which is normal).
Make the Batter:
Place almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, powdered (icing) sugar, and ground pistachios in a bowl and mix with a hand whisk or an electric mixer. This step is necessary in order to aerate the mixture and to avoid lumps. Pour the brown butter and mix with a rubber spatula.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with granulated sugar and a pinch of salt with an electric mixer for no longer than 30 seconds. Egg whites have to be slightly "sparkled". Divide the whites into three parts.
Add the first part of egg whites to the main preparation and mix well with a hand whisk. Then add the second and the third parts of whites, each time vigorously mixing with the whisk. Cover the batter with a plastic film on contact and refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).
Using a pastry bag or a spoon, fill each cavity of a financier mold up to ⅔ and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Bake cakes for 12 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes and take cakes from the mold.
Cook's Notes:
- Read more about how to make Brown Butter (French Beurre Noisette).
- Multiply all the ingredients by 1.5 and bake financiers in a mini muffin pan. Butter each cavity and increase the baking time, adding a few more minutes.
- 160 g egg whites approximately equal 5½ raw fresh egg whites from medium size chicken eggs.
- Replace chopped pistachios with 1-3 fresh raspberries to place on top of each financier before baking.
- Once cakes cool down, sprinkle them with confectioners' (icing/powdered) sugar if you desire.