Do not underestimate a tiny cake. French financiers are simple, luxurious two-bite pastries. They are meant to be eaten as a teacake or an after-dinner sweet, but frankly, they can be enjoyed at any time of day. Their name reflects the small rectangular molds in which they are traditionally baked, resulting in a gold-tinged cake resembling an ingot.
Financiers may be petite, but they do not fail to deliver flavor. They are sweet and delicate, composed primarily of ground nuts, egg whites, and sugar. Their crisp exterior gives way to a soft and light interior redolent with brown butter.
Brown butter, or beurre noisette, is a baker’s secret weapon. When butter is melted and cooked, the milk solids separate and brown; the butter takes on a golden hue and toasty flavor that adds rich nuttiness to baked goods and sauces. It’s no surprise brown butter is nicknamed liquid gold, which is especially fitting for a cake named after a gold bar….