Blaze : – « Monseignor, il est l’or, l’or de se réveiller. »
Don Salluste : – « Il en manque une ! »
B. : – « Vous êtes sor ? »
D.S. : – « Tout à fait sor ! »
Blaze: – ” Sir, it is time, time to wake up.
Don Salluste: – One is missing!
B.: – Are you sure?
D.S.: – Totally sure!”
(dialogue between Blaze (Yves Montand) and Don Salluste de Bazan (Louis de Funès) as Blaze tries to wake Don Salluste up by moving gold coins in his hands)
There are those language puns that I just wish I could translate but non, cela ne marche pas! (It just does not work). Unless you speak French or have seen the French classical hilarious comedy La folie des grandeurs featuring Louis de Funès and Yves Montand, you have no clue what I am talking about! Let’s say that—and to make it short because I am quite bad at telling movie stories without adding more confusion—, I am talking about de l’or (gold) because Don Salluste was obsessed with gold. So as Blaze moves the gold coins in his hands to produce noise in order to wake Don Salluste up, his words are punctuated with the word or, which replace syllabes in his words. He says: Il est l’or instead of Il est l’heure (It is time). The language pun lies just right there! Monsignor instead of Monseigneur, sor instead of sûr. I think you better see the movie before I ruin it all, even if you have never heard about it before. It is truly a French cult movie I watched over and over again while growing up.
As to us, Il est l’or du thé, and I bet you had no idea that Tea Time could make you rich today.
Financiers: Mes lingots d’or – Bars of Gold
Every time it is the same old story. I am convinced that I am safe and have a favorite cake that I can bake when ideas are failing me. These days, the truth is that I cannot think straight because of the heat wave we live in. It is almost as if my neurones had escaped from my head to go on a vacation who-knows-where. Did God or whoever created this world really believe that humans and animals would enjoy living in hot humid weather? So here I am again, talking about the weather more than is healthy. In countries where people wake up with the same looking sky every day, they don’t even notice the weather anymore. C’est vrai! It is true. My cousin’s husband from Nigeria onced told me so. After living in England for years, every time he would go back to Nigeria and talk about the weather with his friends, they would look at him with a weird puzzled look on their face, a What’s up with him? kind of look. But I discovered a new baby cake.
Financiers have always intrigued me. It has to do with their shape, the almond and nutty taste, and the fact that they are small individual cakes, mini-versions of bigger cakes. You can find big financiers but small is what attracts me to them. Not that I do not want to get richer! But why call them financiers?—and I think you will understand finance, the root of this word easily. What is the point of that? When I asked P. what his thought was, he simply replied: « Ah mais c’est la forme. C’est comme un lingot d’or! » Really? They are like bars of gold? Why did I not think about that? Of course, as my neurones are gone with the heat, this thought could just not have crossed my mind! Or I just think differently, and what should be obvious to me just flies above my head. The heat, I tell you.
Financiers are traditional French cakes which base ingredients are a combination of white eggs , nutty butter (beurre noisette) and almond powder (called also almond flour, in French, poudre d’amandes). The shape of the cake is usually rectangular although it is possible to find oval financiers as well. Enough to convince you that they are just lovely little cakes?
Whether it is hot or cold, we drink a lot of tea at home. P.’s family background taught me that with tea should always come biscuits, cake or cookies. Does every Irish family do this? “A cup of tea? A biscuit anyone?” Luckily, we do not eat something with every cup of tea we gulp down, otherwise we would just…., well we simply don’t so there is no sinon.
I decided to make a batch with two different flavors of financiers and test the texture a bit. One with Matcha green tea, the other one with a red fruit. But the flavors are endless! The results obtained were a moist nutty texture. As to which one I preferred, well let’s see, which one was the heaviest in gold? In any case, they make you both repus, that is food happy! Enough to make many people happy.
La joie du ventre, c’est toute la richesse du monde ! (The joy of the stomach is all the richness of the world).
(I used strawberries)
You need:
- 4 white eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 cup almond powder not packed (or 3.6 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons hazelnut powder
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 9 tablespoons butter
- 1 + 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons (or 6.5 ounces) confectioner’s sugar
- 8 fresh strawberries (or 16 raspberries)
Steps:
- Use a sieve to sift the flour and sugar before mixing them together.
- Add the almond and hazelnut powders to the dry preparation.
- Melt the butter in a pot and cook for 2 mns after boiling point, so that it has a nice nutty flavor(called then a beurre noisette), and let it cool down to room temperature.
- Filter the butter
- Add it to the preparation and mix well.
- Beat the egg whites until foamy but not firm.
- Add and mix well to get a sticky batter.
- Let the batter rest for a few hours before dividing it between 8 small greased and floured individual financier molds*.
- Wash the strawberries and slice them in halves. Place 2 halves in each cake, pressing the fruit down a bit.
- Preheat your oven at 350 F and bake the financiers for about 15 to 20 mns.
- Check whether they are cooked through. Remove from the oven and let them cool down for a few mns before unmoulding.
*Note: there are special molds for financiers (4.5″ x 2.5″ x 1.25″). Mine are metallic ones. I bought them at Sur la table.
You need:
- 4 white eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 cup + 3 Tbsp almond powder
- 9 oz butter
- 1 +1/2 cup + 4 Tbsp (or 6.5 oz) confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tsp Matcha green tea
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Steps:
- Follow the same steps with the variations that follow.
- Add the Matcha tea to the dry preparation, that is the flour/sugar/almond powder mixed together. Then proceed in the same way.
- The step with the red fruit is omitted of course.
(J’ai utilisé des fraises)
Ingrédients :
- 4 blancs d’oeuf (à température ambiante)
- 100 g poudre d’amandes
- 20 g poudre de noisette
- 80 g farine
- 125 g beurre
- 180 g sucre glace
- 8 fraises (ou 16 framboises)
Étapes :
- Tamisez la farine et le sucre avant de les mélanger ensemble.
- Ajoutez la poudre d’amande et de noisette à cette préparation sèche.
- Faites fondre le beurre dans une casserole et amenez à ébullition, pour faire cuire pendant environ 2 mns. Vous obtenez un beurre noisette. Laissez-le refroidir pour qu’il soit à température ambiante.
- Filtrez-le et ajoutez-le à la préparation. Mélangez bien.
- Battez vos blancs d’oeuf pour qu’ils soient mousseux mais pas fermes.
- Ajoutez-les à votre préparation et mélangez bien.
- Laissez la pâte reposer pendant quelques heures avant de la diviser entre 8 moules à financier* graissés et farinés.
- Lavez vos fraises et coupez-les en 2. Enfoncez deux moitiés dans chaque petit gâteau.
- Préchauffez votre four à 180 C et cuisez les financiers pendant 15 à 20 mns.
- Sortez-les du four et laissez-les reposer pendant quelques minutes avant de les démouler.
*Remarque : il existe bien sûr des moules à financiers (11 x 7 x 3 cm). Les miens sont métalliques.
Ingrédients :
- 4 blancs d’oeuf (à température ambiante)
- 120 g poudre d’amande
- 125 g beurre
- 180 g sucre glace
- 2 càc de thé vert Matcha
- 80 g farine
Étapes :
- Suivez les mêmes étapes avec les variantes qui suivent.
- Ajoutez le thé vert Matcha à la préparation sèche, c’est à dire la farine/sucre/poudre d’amandes mélangée. Puis procédez de la même façon.
- Omettez bien sûr l’étape avec les fraises.
Ah Ah, je vois que tu es passée à l’acte pour les moules à financiers… Sage résolution ! Thé vert+fraises, ça a l’air divin. De l’or, c’est sor !
mmmmh tout a toujours l’air si bon ici … et quelle bonne idée d’enfoncer les fruits !
oh! another matcha addicted like me! well done, it looks delicious! 🙂
mmm, I’m coming over with some coffee 🙂
Yum, these look so moist and delicious!
Là tu me prends par les sentiments… les financiers,yummyyyyyyyyyyy !
bravo! these are beautiful, as is your entire site! formidable!
Oh c’ est très très joli!
ummm ca a l’air trop bien!!
Dans le même ordre d’idée, j’ai fait un jour des financiers… à l’oseille, juste pour le jeu de mots. Et bien c’était très bon !!! Bravo pour ce joli moment de culture et de gourmandise…
J’adORe ce film, que j’ai vu et revu pendant toute mon enfance!
En attendant , je t’ai déja dit que tes photos étaient chouettes? C’est superbe, comme d’habitude!
Mais que c’est beau. Je ne connaissais pas ton site, mais quelle merveille que ces recettes (et en plus elles semblent être à ma portée pour la nulle en cuisine que je suis!).
M’en vais de ce pas imprimer de ci de là quelques recettes qui m’ont l’air fort alléchantes. Je ne manquerai pas de mettre des photos de mes tentatives pour que tu constates (si oui ou zut), j’y suis parvenue.
Oh la la, ce qu’ils sont beaux tes financiers. C’est peut être la recette qui va me faire acheter les moules. Ben oui, je les ai pas encore !
OHHHHHHHH les 2 versions sont MAGNIFIQUES !! waooooooooo et les photos donnent envie de lécher l’écran ! NAN NAN du calmeeeeeeeeee!
superbe!! comme toujours, je prends les 2 😉
SO pretty! i love how you take an everyday thing and make it into something so new and lovely. the strawberry financiers seem wonderful!
and that hot weather? helps us appreciate the refreshment of a cool breeze all the more. perhaps a providential lesson?
Another theory is that financiers got their name because people who work in the financial world, when they have their ‘goûter’, they need to eat something that isn’t messy. To keep their suits neat!
Je te trouve bien courageuse d’essayer de traduire des jeux de mots, j’ai renonce depuis longtemps, c’est l’exercice le plus difficile qui soit.
Par contre tes financiers parlent un langage universel aux gourmands du monde qui te lisent.
I bet they’d be good with a nice cup of hot cocoa too. Yum.
excellente idée que de comparer les financiers au thé vert avec des lingots d’or 😉
wonderful! I want my weight in gold 😉
Tout est bon, c’est comme dans le cochon !
Tentants, très tentants! J’ai essayé la soupe à la roquette un délice!
Hello Bea!
I have always wanted to make financiers but never have. I loved the story of the movie that you told! While my French is not so good I’m sure it must be very funny.
We are experiencing our own heat wave here in Toronto so I understand how you feel. Although I admire you in turning on the oven!
Liza, oui ca y est, je me suis lancee! C’est en or!
Beate, merci! 😉
Francesca indeed, and your Matcha tea ideas abund!
Kat, not a problem, hurry!
Geneve, thanks!
Framboise, ah ben avec une gourmande comme toi, c’est facile dis!
Laura, thanks for your nice note!
Ellie et Audrey, merci a toutes les deux!
Ester, wouah, quelle superbe idee. Et alors, ils etaient donc sales?
Flo, ah oui ce film, je viens d’ailleurs de le commander sur Netflix (si tu connais, un systeme de films qui remplacent les videos!) Merci a toi!
Vroumette, merci de t’etre arretee. Curieuse de voir tes realisations, je suis sure que tu es bien modeste!
Marie, tout a fait, une des meilleures excuses pour te lancer! vas-y!
100g de sucre, ahaha;-)
Alhya, gourmande, va!
imachanelle, thanks my dear. Yes this weather indeed….it slows things down, so not that bad for me in many ways!
David, ah interesting. I like this one! It makes sense!
Gracianne, oui courageuse ou optimiste! 😉 Ah oui le langage des gourmands est universel, thank god!
Natalie, sweet idea!
Lilo, c’est vrai que ca ressemble, pas vrai ?
Claire, alors ca fait combien ?
Cocopassions, ah ah, merci!
Caterine, je suis ravie que cela t’ait plu! Yeah!
Ivonne, get the movie and watch it. It is hilarious!
oh, là là i miss a lot of gorgeous things…
The joy of the stomach is all the richness of the world.
Oh, Béa I am so glad I read your blog. I simply love the way you write. I certainly am going to try to find the movie! The tea cakes look lovely and I need another use for my almond flour!!!
Heat is never kind. Fun about the Nigeria part of the story but yes some places are about always the same for weather.
c’est amusant je viens voir ton site tous les jours et là je n’étais pas venu depuis quelques jours je regarde aujourd’hui et je vois que nous avons eu la même envie de financiers, pas aux mêmes parfums, comme quoi les envies gourmandes dépassent les frontiéres.
that peeping berry is absolutely beautiful. and the colour of the green just seeping through the cake is fantastic. i love teeny cakes and yours are no exception.
Je suis fan de ton blog que je suis très régulièrement mais je n’avais jamais posté… Je viens d’essayer la recette avec des framboises surgelées et ces financiers sont vraiment délicieux ! Le petit goût noisette est divin ! J’en ai fait la moitié seulement avec des framboises parce que la dernière fois que j’avais essayé ça avait détrempé la pâte mais avec cette recette c’était parfait, ils ont gardé une bonne tenue et ils sont encore meilleurs que les natures. Un grand merci pour tes recettes originales et délicieuses et surtout pour ces photos magnifiques qui me font rêver !
Fabienne, il vaut mieux tard que jamais 😉
Tanna, thanks for your kind words! Very appreciated! 😉
😉
Astrid, je vais de ce pas les voir!
😉
Vanessa, thanks so much! Small is nice, isn’t it?
😉
Marie-Luce, ah super! J’en suis tres heureuse! Merci de me le faire savoir, ca fait plaisir!
Non, non, des financiers sucrés !!! Je t’envoie la recette !!! Top avec de la faisselle !
Looks delicious. I will try the matcha flavour. i really would like to see matcha flavoured baked goods on your blog.
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Je pense que les financiers sont effectivement meilleurs dans des moules spéciaux et moins épais que ceux que vous avez utilisés car de ce fait, ils sont plus “croustillants” sur les bords, c’est un détail mais qui, à mon avis, fait la différence.
Salut Béa! I made those amazing financiers today, but they turned out way too dry inside… Any idea what could have gone wrong? I think my oven is really bad (I live in a student house), and that I should have baked the for only 12 minutes instead of 18… Any tips?
Anne,
I wish I could help. So sorry first that they turned out too dry. Did you make the fruit or green tea ones? It is true that oven temp can matter. Also, one key step in making financier is about how you add the melted butter (need to mix well until well incorporated).
Do you think that your oven is higher than usual?
WOW! What a great Blog you got here Bea! I will place you straight on my Blogroll and keep reading your Blog!
Kind Regards from Dubai.
ChrisBliss
Hi Bea,
Enjoy your site, we are a genuine French cafe/
bakery in New Zealand, and thought you might be interested to know that the name “financier” is said to derive from the traditional rectangular mold, which resembles a bar of gold. Another theory says that the cake became popular in the financial district of Paris surrounding La Bourse du Commerce (the former name of the Paris stock exchange).
We serve them topped with whipped cream, berries, or other fruit, and served accompanied by ice cream or other frozen confections.
Merci……
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I made the red fruit financiers with raspberries yesterday, and they turned out great! The proportions in this recipe are perfect, and the cakes are very easy to make. The taste is heavenly, very almond-y, and the texture is awesome: soft and nicely moist in the middle, and crunchy, a bit chewy on the edges. The berries are a nice touch, they make the financiers look so cute and sophisticated, and are a nice contrast to the sweet sugary cake. The only “problem” was that my new silicone financier molds were very shallow (I couldn’t find deeper metallic ones), so my financiers are a bit flatter than yours! My husband (who is French!) loved them too! Will definitely make the green tea ones in the near future! Thanks!
the recipes look delicious!! and i defetenly try them 😀
but how do i use the matcha tea?? is it a powder??
Please note there may be a typo in the butter amount in the Matcha Tea recipe. It is written as 9 oz., but the Berry recipe uses 9 TBSP.
Ok, thanks Beverly.