Serves a Crowd

Pistachio and Rose Water Financiers with Raspberries

July  3, 2011
5
1 Ratings
  • Serves 8
Author Notes

Any foodie travelling to Paris, will be queuing at Ladurée to try their famous Macarons. For me, Tea in Paris is so much more than Macarons – Financier is my thing!

Financier is neither a cookie nor a pastry, it’s a small rectangular light and moist teacake.

The basis of the Financier is almond flour, beurre noisette (brown butter), egg whites, powdered sugar and a little flour.

Financiers are traditionally baked in small rectangular moulds. The story goes that a Pastry Chef, whose shop was near the Financial district in Paris, started baking these cakes in small rectangular moulds that resembled gold bars. So they were named “financiers" which means financial.

Financiers are normally served freshly baked at tea time.
The financier is very simple and quick to make. Any French pastry book will give you more or less the same proportions, in grams. I am giving you the proportions I normally use, modified to ounces, as I can’t establish what they are in cups.
The almond meal in the Financiers lends itself to be changed by hazelnuts or pistachios. I chose to use ground pistachios and Rose Water to give it a Middle Eastern flair and the raspberries, both whole and in sauce.

Hope you like it. - Maria Teresa Jorge
Maria Teresa Jorge

Test Kitchen Notes

Pistachio and rose water is a classic combo for a reason. The raspberries are a great addition to these financiers. I'd recommend filling the molds about half-full before adding the raspberries. If you don't have financier molds, muffin tins work fine. And don't skip the sauce, the extra touch of raspberry is the perfect addition. - biffbourgeois —Stephanie Bourgeois

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Ingredients
  • Financiers
  • 6.2 ounces Icing sugar
  • 5.3 ounces Butter no salt
  • 5.3 ounces Egg whites (4 large or 5 medium)
  • 3 ounces Pistachios ground - no salt, no skin
  • 1.8 ounces Flour - all purpose
  • 1/2 tablespoon Rose Water
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • Raspberry Sauce
  • 7 ounces Raspberries
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
Directions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Butter and flour Financier rectangular moulds. If using non-stick silicone moulds no need to prepare. You can find them online in the US.
  3. In a small pan melt the butter until it turns golden brown. Allow to cool.
  4. In a bowl, measure the icing sugar, flour, ground pistachios, salt and whisk to remove any lumps. Add the egg whites, the Rose Water and the cooled brown butter and stir with a whisk or spatula, until smooth.
  5. Fill the moulds to 3/4. Put 2 or 3 fresh raspberries on top and put in the oven. Immediately lower the temperature to 400 degrees and bake 3 minutes.
  6. Lower the temperature to 350 and bake another 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown.
  7. Allow to cool in moulds.
  8. For the Raspberry Sauce: In a pan add the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 3 minutes until mixture gets syrupy. Process the remaining raspberries with the sugar syrup. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing with a rubber spatula.
  9. Serve the Financiers with the raspberry Sauce.
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10 Reviews

Rebecca C. July 17, 2013
Pardon my french, but these are Frenchin' delicious! A bit on the sweeter side (1 1/4 cups sugar, right?) but, whatever...they're small. i didn't have rosewater so i used lime juice, which probably was more subtle but, it worked. What a great way to use fresh berries and egg whites leftover from ice cream making.
stefany November 17, 2012
Since having these in Sancerre last summer, I've been looking EVERYWHERE for a recipe -- so happy to have found this and can't wait to try it!
Maria T. November 18, 2012
Stefany,
I hope my recipe makes justice to your memories of financiers in Sancerre!
Maria T. July 14, 2011
As biffbourgeois says, fill the moulds before putting the raspberries. I actually make these and put the moulds in the fridge for 20 minutes or so and only put the raspberries before going in the oven. The butter solidifies a little bit and hence the raspberries don't sink to the bottom.
Lizthechef July 5, 2011
Lovely version of the Paris classic - thumbs up!
Maria T. July 6, 2011
Thank you Liz the chef. Indeed it's a Paris classic!
nogaga July 4, 2011
Beautiful and alluring!
Maria T. July 4, 2011
Thank you nogaga
Sagegreen July 3, 2011
Beautiful. I love pistachios with raspberries.
Maria T. July 3, 2011
So do I. To be honest, I like raspberries with everything!