Financiers aux framboises et à la noix de coco

( Raspberry and coconut friands )

Although better known as almond friands, these popular little cakes are actually called financiers, so-named because of their gold ingot shape. Interestingly, it is thought that the financier was inspired by a small cake called visitandine, named after the Catholic nuns who invented them. The nuns painted with tempura paint, which they made from egg yolks, and the recipe was the perfect solution for what to do with all the left-over egg whites. However, the cake’s distinctive ingot shape and current name was the work of a chef called Lasne, who had a shop in the financial district of Paris, and baked them in this shape as a gimmick to entice the local traders.

While the financier continues to be baked as a small rectangle in France, it is now sold in all shapes and enhanced by a multitude of flavours. This version is my favourite; the tartness of the raspberries provides the perfect foil for the richness of the cake, and the coconut brings a little bit of texture. I consider them as the muffin’s sophisticated cousin — richer, softer and with a more refined texture. Try them once and you will never look back!

Makes 20

note : All dry ingredients must be at room temperature. Start this recipe a day ahead.

200 g (7 oz) almond meal

300 g (10½ oz) pure icing (confectioners’) sugar

150 g (5½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

250 g (9 oz) egg whites (about 8–9)

200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter

250 g (9 oz) raspberries, fresh or frozen whole

100 g (3½ oz) flaked coconut

L Put the almond meal, icing sugar and flour in a bowl and combine well. Using a hand-held whisk, lightly whisk the egg whites until foamy; do not whisk the egg whites too much or your cakes will collapse during baking. Fold the egg whites into the almond meal mixture until just combined. Remember that any batter containing flour (and therefore gluten) will toughen up with excessive mixing, so don’t be tempted to prepare this using an electric mixer.

L Put the butter in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Remove from the heat as soon as you notice the butter has started to brown — this is beurre noisette. Mixing continuously, pour the hot butter through a sieve into your batter and mix until combined well (see tips). Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

L Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly grease and flour 20 financier moulds or use 125 ml (4 fl oz) friand or brioche tins. For the best results, use steel or aluminium moulds, and while the shape is entirely up to you, this recipe is designed to be baked in individual cake moulds.

L Divide the batter among the prepared moulds. Place a few raspberries and sprinkle some coconut over the top of each one. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool a little, then remove from the moulds. Like most cakes, these are best eaten the day they are baked.

tips

To avoid lumps forming in the batter when you add the hot butter, it’s important that your ingredients (almonds, sugar, flour and eggs) are at room temperature before you start.

Although raspberries provide a good balance of tartness in these cakes, feel free to use other acidic fruit such as passionfruit, blackcurrants or even chopped granny smith apples.