Orange Blossom Financiers
When I arrived in France, the financier was among the first pastries I tried. These bite-sized cakes are light and buttery, with a moist and delicate crumb. They are usually made with brown butter, which harmonizes with ground almonds.
Orange blossom holds a special place in Persian culinary culture. It has a floral note with a muted orange flavor. It forever reminds me of the beautiful Shiraz in Iran, which is filled with the otherworldly fragrance of orange blossoms in the spring. Orange blossom water in this recipe brings a light floral tone to these miniature cakes, which in my opinion, adds complexity to the flavor. For this recipe, I have used a technique that has been used in traditional Iranian confectionery; brushing them with honey-orange blossom syrup while they are still warm.
These Financiers are best if eaten the same day, of course, but they keep well for three days in an airtight container.
Ingredients
For the financiers
55 grams all-purpose flour
140 grams ground almonds
160 grams superfine sugar
1 pinch of salt
4 egg whites from free range eggs, at room temperature
90 grams brown butter, slightly warm
1 tablespoon culinary-grade orange blossom water
For the syrup
2 tablespoons Honey
2 tablespoons culinary-grade orange blossom water
Method
To make the brown butter, place the chunks of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan gently and continuously over the heat until the butter melts and turns golden brown. Set aside.
Sift the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the ground almonds, mix well with a balloon whisk, add the sugar and salt.
In a medium mixing bowl, loosen the egg whites with a balloon whisk and tenderly add them to the dry ingredients.
Slowly pour the warm brown butter into the batter, mix until well combined. Add the orange blossom water.
Cover the batter and let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Grease and flour a financier mold. Spoon the cold batter into the mold, decrease the oven temperature to 180 C, and bake the financers for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
To prepare the syrup, combine the honey and the culinary-grade orange blossom water over low heat until well combined. Brush the financier with the syrup while still warm.