The financier (pronounced fee-nahn-see-AY) is a simple style of French cake. It is typically made with ground almonds. I have tweaked the classic French pastry today for the final entry in my series of small plates with wine pairings. Mine is reminiscent of the original, but it’s made with pistachios. We paired this delicately flavored cake with an Emilio Lustau Reserva Capataz Andres Deluxe Cream Sherry.
If you have ever had a good financier you know their simple allure. The best of them have a springy, sweet texture, not unlike a sponge cake. They’re made with ground nuts which helps give these little cakes an exterior that’s a bit crisp. But don’t let the straightforward nature of this classic French pastry fool you. It can be exquisitely refined.
In France, financiers have been a staple of fine pastry shops for more than 100 years. They have only recently begun making their way into restaurants in America. For the home cook, they’re something of a mystery: most of the classic French baking tomes fail to include recipes for financiers.This may account partly for its anonymity, but it’s also true that they are sometimes hard to define. There is not a lot of continuity beyond nuts and butter. In some cases, the shape may be round, rectangular in others. It has been that way for more than a century.
These facts have left the financier in a more obscure role than so many of the other great French pastries. But unlike many of those famed sweet treats the financier is actually quite easy to master at home. All you need is a whisk, a bowl, a pan and a bit of finesse.
A few steps make or break the cake. The first, the browning of the butter, is what defines its flavor and adds depth to the nuts. You need to heat the butter over medium low heat until it begins to brown and smell nutty. It’s best to do this slowly and to keep a careful eye on it. Once butter begins to brown, it burns easily. Remove it the moment it attains a golden hue. Undercooking it is equally damaging, because the end result will lose that rich nutty fragrance.
The second trick is to mix the batter as little as possible. I shouldn’t even say mix, because it should be folded until just combined. Streaks are fine, because if you work the batter too much, the glutens will stretch and the cake will be tough.
The batter then has to rest before baking. A few hours in the refrigerator, and the flavors will come together and the batter will become more dense, making it easier to spoon or pipe into molds.
The one decision you need to make regards texture. If you use a commercially processed nut flour, the cake will be finer but denser, more like what you’d find in France. But the truth is American butter and flour are not the same as in France, so you’re never going to get the same exact thing anyway. So I prefer the more rustic presentation that comes from grinding the nuts yourself.
Financiers do have one obvious drawback. They must be eaten on the day they’re baked. Their texture deteriorates quickly. But I have to ask. Is this really so much of a bother?
Honey Glazed Pistachio Financiers with Black Tea Poached Prunes serves 6 CLICK here for a printable recipe
- 1 c 10x sugar, divided
- 1 c water
- 3 bags black tea, such as earl grey
- 30 pitted prunes
- 1⁄4 c orange flavored liqueur
- 6 T unsalted butter, sliced
- 1⁄4 c all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 c shelled pistachios, ground into a course meal
- 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten until frothy
- 1⁄2 c honey
- 3⁄4 c shelled pistachios, lightly crushed
- pistachio ice cream (optional)
Poach the prunes: Combine one-fourth cup of the sugar with 1 cup of water in a small saucepan, add the tea bags and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring so the sugar dissolves. Add the prunes and continue to gently simmer for about 10 minutes until the prunes are tender. If your prunes are large or quite dry, they make take longer. If necessary, add a bit more water to keep them covered.
Once the prunes are tender, remove them from the heat, adding the orange liqueur. Remove the tea bags and gently squeeze them to extract additional flavor before discarding them. Using a slotted spoon remove the prunes and set aside on a plate. Reduce the poaching liquid by about 1/3, until slightly syrupy. Turn off the heat and return the prunes to the pan. Set the prunes aside in their liquid). May be made up to 3 days ahead.
Prepare the Financier: Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently and watching carefully. You will notice the butter will get foamy, and then the milk solids will begin to brown. Once that starts, remove skillet from the heat. The butter will go from brown to black quickly, so set the skillet on a cool, heat proof surface to slow cooking before the butter turns black. Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma, and be caramel in color.
Whisk remaining sugar, flour and ground pistachios together in a medium-sized bowl.
To these dry ingredients begin to add the wet ingredients, alternating between the browned butter and the egg whites. Use a a lerge flat paddle spoon to insure that the wet ingredients are folded into the dry without over-mixing. Cover and chill the batter overnight.
Preheat a convection oven to 375 degrees F. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 6 portion flexible financier pan (alternately you may use mini tart pans). Financier pans come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Mine were about 3 inches round and took 15–18 minutes to bake. The financiers are done when they are dry and bounce back when pressed in the center. Allow them to sit for a few minutes and carefully remove them from the pan, setting them, upside down on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
Heat the honey over medium-low heat until it becomes less viscous. Do not allow it to scorch.
While the financiers are still warm, brush them generously with some of the warm honey. Top them with the crushed pistachios, and another drizzle of honey. Let cool. The financiers may be made no more than one day ahead.
To serve: Lay the financiers in the center of individual serving plates. Spoon a 5 prunes on top of each one and drizzle with some of the poaching liquid. A scoop of pistachio ice cream may also be served on the side.
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
Hi Greg! Tuna sandwiches were, growing up, my hands down favorite school lunch. Nothing made me happier (even with soggy bread). And now that my older one is in school, I struggle with her repeated requests for tuna sandwiches. Love how you addressed this issue, and really like the smoked fish in the recipe, too. That was another deli favorite!
Thanks for the catch on Tuna! Good info. I’ll look for that American Tuna brand and check it out.
Great read, and you did a wonderful job of hitting all the points. I love the solution you offered and your sandwich sounds just delicious. I have just developed a deep craving for tuna sandwich that must be satisfied.
Thanks, Greg, for spreading the word on sustainable tuna. We haven’t had canned tuna in years, and I’ve never heard of American tuna. But I’ll check it out.
Thanks!
[K]
I haven’t had a tuna sandwich in years! After looking at this piece of art I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to canned, and at this point I could care less if it’s pole caught or mercury laden…I need one of those sandwiches — asap please!
~ Mary
I don’t eat tuna, so my tuna habit is 100% sustainable. But the cows and pigs would like to ask you (Charlie) a few questions on how to taste like fish.
Ok, actually I will eat grilled tuna every now and then. So I’ll keep your thoughts in mind.
I would love to go tuna fishing, they are feisty things. Maybe I can get a job at American Tuna!
Thanks, Greg. I haven’t put much thought into the canned tuna I buy but I will now. I googled the American Tuna brand and yes, $5 is a little pricey for a regular tuna sandwich, which by the way, I rarely think of making for myself but when I do I really enjoy it (I like your more elegant take, too). I stock up on tuna in olive oil too, for a stir-fry dish I make so I guess I use the canned stuff more than I realized.
More importantly, my dish at a Japanese restaurant a few days ago came with a piece of yellowtail. Now I feel bad. It never occurred to me that this restaurant would serve something that wasn’t sustainable. I won’t do that again.
One of The Professor’s very favorite sammies in the world is tuna which we don’t buy very often for the reasons you’ve stated above. But we too buy the Ahi and I’ve done exactly the same thing in making his beloved sammie — it’s not the Charlie Tuna sammie of the 70s but still delicious. Great info Greg — I really, really appreciate your site — you’re funny, witty and serious when you need to be — Kudos!
It’s a throwback to childhood. We could walk across the street to drugstore soda fountain and get tuna on toast to go. They put egg in it, which by the way, wasabi in egg salad is awesome. And, no mercury in eggs!
I can’t remember the last time I had a tuna sandwich. I can’t remember the last time I had tuna, full stop. Oh wait, I can, but not tinned. This may have to be amended very soon, however, as your sandwich looks so tasty delicious! The only thing I’d add? Maybe a little avocado, because I am obsessed. Awesome.
Jax x
I used to love tuna, then I worked in an Asian restaurant. Now I like making sandwiches with smoked trout and salmon instead, preferable locally caught. Just as good, if not better!
I was about to post my tuna salad made from fresh tuna — oh heck I am going to anyway — its not like I copied you or anything its more of a kismet kind of thing — nice touch adding the smoked fish for more depth of flavor.
I have stopped buying tuna as well. The albacore has more mercury than light, and I don’t think it is sustainable. Plus, the M.B.A.‘s Seafood Watch can get so complicated, I just threw up my hands and gave up with the canned tuna. I have been buying sardines instead. Your recipe is really interesting with the smoked fish mixed with the ahi. Oh, and I forgot how blue collar Charlie was. He sounds like a truck-drivin’ fish!
I had forgotten that Charlie had that “accent”… I love tuna salad: mayo, lemon juice, celery, a tad dijon mustard and some tarragon. Yum. Your wasabi addition is interesting, will have to try it next time.
Some women love being pregnant. I hated it. Hated everything about it. Especially the food restrictions. No sushi..what? No tuna…what? This blows. I love tuna sandwiches — with Ahi or StarKist. But no celery for me. I hate celery almost as much as pregnancy.
My first and foremost comfort food will always be a creamy homemade mac and cheese but coming in a very close second is a tuna melt. It would take it up a notch to use fresh and not canned.
which begs the question– how do you make your scraps looks so pretty?
Love the added wasabi and rice vinegar. I tried a similar fish-friendly can at Earth Fare. Yes, pricey, but worth it if we want to have our tuna in the sea and eat it, too.
Hey Greg, I just refrained from buying the tuna I wanted at the store today due to a documentary I saw on jelly fish taking over the ocean b/c of overfishing and pollution. It wasn’t that hard for me to refrain, but I know how much you loved/love your mama so tuna could be ingrained into your desires at this point. Plus, if she made a sandwich that looked that good, addiction comes into the picture (smile).
Anyway, thanks for the info. I will keep it in mind since seafood is my favorite deviation from vegetarianism;-)
I love tuna sandwiches, but mine are pretty plain compared to this beauty! Wasabi — why didn’t I think of that? And smoked fish mashed in the dressing? Brilliant! Thanks for this inspiring sandwich!
i ate tuna as a kid too… nothing as elaborate as this- looks like a fabulous lunch. working on tomato soup post- would go great with your sandwich!
happy friday greg,
chef louise
I have never seen a more beautiful tuna sandwich, sorry Charlie is right!
I used to eat tuna all the time… but with fishing practices, I’ve stopped. But with companies like this, I may start up again. Thanks for a thoughtful post!