Financiers

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 6 large egg whites
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. 1

   Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Continue to cook, watching closely, until the milk solids turn brown. Be very careful, as they will turn from brown to black-burnt in a split second.

2. 2

   Mix almonds and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add egg whites and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When the mixture is runny, slightly opaque and hot (about 2 minutes), remove from heat and stir in flour. Add melted butter slowly. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap (press plastic against surface of batter), and chill at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.

3. 3

   Preheat oven to 400°F Butter 12 financier molds or 12 mini-muffin cups, dust with flour, and discard excess (or use butter-and-flour baking spray). If using individual molds, line them up on a cookie sheet.

4. 4

   Fill each mold/cup almost full (about 3 tbsp each). Bake for 13 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. Cool a few minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.