Toasted Almond-Coconut Financiers

They're a simple dessert that looks like you spent hours making them!

Here's the truth, I am not the biggest coconut lover, but my husband adores anything coconut. These are dedicated to him. A French Financier is a light, moist cake with a crisp, eggshell-like exterior. They are crispy, chewy with the perfect amount of chocolate. The recipe calls for a mini muffin pan to make these small cakes, but I made them as a cookie shape in our SiLLibake standard baking cups.

My husband has a list of his favorite desserts, and this is one of his top 5!

Financiers are a type of French pastry that originated in the financial district of Paris in the 19th century. Traditionally, financiers are small, rectangular-shaped cakes made with almond flour, egg whites, powdered sugar, and butter. They have a rich, buttery flavor and a dense, moist texture. Financiers are typically baked in small molds, which gives them their distinctive shape and crispy exterior. Over time, variations of the classic recipe have emerged, and now, financiers can be found with a range of flavors, including chocolate, fruit, and nuts. They are a popular dessert item in many French bakeries and can be enjoyed on their own or served alongside coffee or tea.

Enjoy!

xoxo

SiLLibake

Toasted Almond-Coconut Financier

Crispy, chewy & easy to make

Ingredients:

• ½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for greasing the tin

• ½ cup/45 grams sweetened, shredded coconut

• ½ cup/55 grams almond flour

• ⅓ cup/67 grams granulated sugar

• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

• Pinch of kosher salt

• 2 large egg whites

• ¼ tsp almond extract

• 3 ounces/85 grams bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 tsp neutral oil or coconut oil

  Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup mini-muffin tin (Tip: No greasing is required if you are using the SiLLibake Silicone Baking Cups). If you use standard-size baking cups, they will be thinner. You can make them more of the standard financier size using 6 standard cups, not 12.  

2. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread out the coconut and almond flour side by side. Toast until both are lightly browned, 6-8 minutes, stirring halfway through and keeping a close watch at the end (they can go from brown to burnt quickly). Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.

3. Use your fingertips to grind the coconut with the almond flour to break it down into small pieces. Add the sugar, flour and salt, and whisk to combine.

4. Mix in the egg whites and almond extract, then the melted butter. I do find a spatula to work better here; if you use a whisk, the batter gets stuck in between.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the greased cups (if you are not using SiLLibake Silicone Baking Cups, you will need to grease your pan (A small cookie scoop makes easy work of this task.) Tap the pan on the countertop to smooth the tops.

6. Bake until the cakes spring back when pressed gently in the center, 12 to 18 minutes. Pop them out of the tin, using a small offset spatula or knife to loosen the edges if needed, and let them cool completely on a wire rack. If you are using the SiLLibake Baking Cups, they will pop out without any effort!

7. Melt the chocolate and oil together in a small bowl in short, 10-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each. I always melt chocolate and oil over a double boiler on the stove.  

8. Dip half of each financier in the chocolate and set on a rack until set, at least 30 minutes.

   How to Store Them:

   Store financiers in an air-tight container for up to seven days. I personally prefer to keep financier cakes for the first 24 hours at room temperature, covered with a kitchen towel. You can also freeze them for up to two months.

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