French Almond Financier Biscuits
A classic French cookie with a crisp exterior and soft, chewy interior, traditionally baked into gold bar shapes and drizzled with almond icing.
Ingredients
unsalted butter (cut into spoon-sized pieces)
10 tbsp (1¼)
sliced almonds
1 cup
powdered sugar
1 cup
granulated sugar
½ cup
large egg whites (room temperature)
6
dark rum
1 tbsp
vanilla extract
1 tsp
almond extract
½ tsp
all-purpose flour (sifted)
½ cup
salt
⅛ tsp
almond icing (recipe on page 360)
Instructions
1
Prepare molds
Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat to 375°F. Spray non-stick cooking spray on two 12-cup mini muffin tins.
2
Make icing
Make the almond icing following the instructions on page 360, and set aside.
3
Brown the butter
Place the butter in a medium deep saucepan and melt over medium heat. Continue heating until the solids at the bottom of the pan turn light brown and the butter gives off a fragrant aroma, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to warm.
4
Make the batter
Add the sliced almonds and powdered sugar to a food processor and process until the nuts are finely ground, about 45 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, stir in the granulated sugar, egg whites, rum, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully combined. Gently fold in the sifted all-purpose flour and salt with a rubber spatula, then fold in the browned butter.
5
Bake
Pour the batter into a measuring cup, then pour it into the prepared muffin tins, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the edges are deep golden brown. Remove the cookies from the molds and place them on a cooling rack set on a baking sheet.
6
Ice the cookies
While the cookies are still warm, use a small offset metal spatula to spread about 1 tsp of icing thinly on the top of each cookie, letting it melt and drip slightly down the edges. Let the iced cookies cool completely.
