Pistachio Financiers

Name: Pistachio Financiers
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes about 7-dozen small cakes
Ingredients: 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for pans; 1 ⁄ 2 cup flour, plus more for pans; 1 ⁄ 2 cup sugar; 1 ⁄ 2 cup light brown sugar; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. kosher salt; 4 egg whites; 1 ⁄ 2 cup finely ground pistachios, plus 1/2 cup finely chopped; 2 tbsp. finely ground almonds; 1 tsp. baking powder

Serves
makes about 7-dozen small cakes

TODD COLEMAN

Thanks to Proust, when it comes to tea cakes, madeleines get all the love. But I prefer the heftier, more serious financier. The two-bite pastry is as rich as the name suggests: Its defining ingredients are almond flour and sweet butter, lightened with whipped egg whites. It's typically a simple rectangle to the madeleine's seashell, but despite its unassuming look, the financier is a small vessel of joy. One of the best I've tasted is this fine-crumbed version from Paris baker Eric Kayser, which he makes in several flavors, including the especially excellent, nut-rich pistachio; it melts in the mouth, a quiet luxury as indelible as any madeleine. —Gabriella Gershenson

Ingredients

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for pans
¹⁄₂ cup flour, plus more for pans
¹⁄₂ cup sugar
¹⁄₂ cup light brown sugar
¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt
4 egg whites
¹⁄₂ cup finely ground pistachios, plus 1/2 cup finely chopped
2 tbsp. finely ground almonds
1 tsp. baking powder

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Instructions

Step 1

Grease and flour 1 1⁄2"-round financier molds or mini-muffin pans; set aside. Heat butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat; cook, without stirring, until butter begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl; cool.

Step 2

Whisk sugars, salt, and egg whites in a bowl until smooth. Add flour, ground pistachios, almonds, and baking powder; stir until combined. Add browned butter; stir until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.