Financiers

Adapted from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz (Ten Speed Press, 2014)

Makes 20 individual almond cakes with browned butter

When I was young, every other year my mother and I traveled to England to visit her parents, my English grandparents, and we would stay all summer. In the kitchen there were always currant scones and a single-layer cake—what I now suppose was an uncut Victoria sponge—which was my favorite to have with a cup of tea. The cake had a flavor—indescribable—but on every visit, I would have my first bite and be reminded, Oh, that’s a taste I like.

I never learned how to make it, and I never got the recipe. Over the years I tried many promising recipes, but I never found that exact taste. That is, until I made these tea cakes. And just like that—there it was: that indescribable taste, the taste of England.

75g almond meal (I grind my own almonds, being careful not to reduce them to powder)
130g powdered sugar
60g flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
115g butter, cubed (to be made into brown butter)
Egg whites from 4 large eggs

Melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet, preferably stainless steel. It will sputter a little, then calm down. Being careful not to let it burn, continue cooking until it turns deep golden brown and smells nutty. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool slightly.

Whisk the almond meal, powdered sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Stir the egg whites into the dry ingredients, then gradually stir in the butter until fully incorporated.

Cover the bowl and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F, non-convection.

Butter the wells of 20 indentations of a mini-muffin pan and fill each indentation ¾ full with batter.

Rap the pan on the counter a few times, then bake for 15 minutes, or until the financiers spring back lightly when touched.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before tilting the financiers out of the pan.