Traditional Pistachio Financier Recipe

Quick Summary: These pistachio financiers are small French almond cakes made with ground pistachios, brown butter, and beaten egg whites. The batter comes together in one bowl, chills briefly, then bakes in about 12 minutes for a crisp edge and a soft, nutty center. This recipe makes 16 little cakes.

What are pistachio financiers?

A financier (pronounced fee-nahn-see-AY) is a small French almond cake made with brown butter, sugar, and beaten egg whites, baked in a special financier mold. Pistachio financiers swap part of the almond flour for ground pistachios, which add a green tint and a rich, nutty flavor.

They are often compared to friands and madeleines. Friands are also little nut cakes but are usually flavored with fruit, while madeleines contain no nuts, are citrus-scented, and bake in a shell-shaped mold. Financiers get their flavor from nuts and brown butter instead.

This pistachio financier recipe was adapted from the original recipe by the French chef Gaston Lenôtre. He used pistachio paste to make his cakes. But what if you replace it with ground pistachios and sprinkle the cakes with chopped nuts? It would add texture and give financiers a green tint.

History of financiers

Financiers trace back to the "visitandines" that nuns baked in the Middle Ages. In 1890, the Parisian pastry chef Lasne reshaped these little cakes into rectangles that looked like gold bars and named them "financiers."

The name fit their audience: the wealthy financiers who worked near the Place de la Bourse, the financial district. More than a century later, these French tea cakes are still popular, and Paris's appear on dessert menus well beyond France.

Financier molds

Authentic financiers have a rectangular shape that resembles a gold bar and bake in a special financier mold. Most molds are made of silicone, which is convenient because you don't need to grease it; read more about baking with silicone molds. With a carbon steel mold, butter and flour each cavity.

No financier mold? Bake them in a mini muffin pan, filling each cavity two-thirds full. The cakes lose the rectangular shape, and depending on the size of your muffin cups, you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Quick and easy: the one-bowl batter takes about 30 minutes to make 16 cakes.
• No waste: the recipe uses up leftover egg whites.
• Nutty flavor and texture: brown butter and ground pistachios give a rich taste and a tender crumb.
• Great for gifting: packed in a box, they make a fine edible holiday gift.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Almond flour: Use blanched, finely ground almond flour, almond meal, or ground almonds. Do not press almond flour or meal into a measuring cup; otherwise, you will end up with more flour than you need.

• Icing sugar: Use a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder to make it yourself, or use store-bought powdered sugar.

• Flour: Use all-purpose regular flour, the same as plain flour.

• Pistachios: The recipe calls for raw pistachios. To make ground pistachios, place nuts into a grinder or food processor. Pulse pistachios a few times until they look like breadcrumbs. It is crucial not to over-grind nuts; otherwise, they will turn into nut butter.

• Baking powder: Use fresh, aluminum-free baking powder.

• Butter: Use unsalted butter; do not replace it with margarine.

• Egg whites: Use egg whites at room temperature, but separate them from the egg yolks while whole eggs are chilled. For best results, weigh the ingredients, especially the egg whites, with a kitchen scale.

Pro tip: Use leftover egg yolks to make creme Anglaise, Italian pastry cream, or Palet Breton.

• Sugar: Use regular granulated white sugar.

• Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor of financiers.

Equipment

You need only a few basic tools to make these pistachio financiers:

• financier mold or mini muffin pan
• saucepan
• fine-mesh sieve
• mixing bowls
• hand whisk
• piping bag
• wire cooling rack

How to make pistachio financiers

Step 1. To make the brown butter, melt unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once it is ready (look for a golden-brown color, a hazelnut smell, and brown solids at the bottom of the pan), pour the butter into another bowl to stop cooking.

Pro tip: Consult the beurre noisette recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 2. Let it cool to room temperature. Leave dark bits (milk solids) in the butter.

Step 3. To make the batter, place almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, powdered (icing) sugar, and ground pistachios in a bowl and mix with a hand whisk or an electric mixer (photo 1).

Pro tip: This step is necessary in order to aerate the mixture and avoid lumps.

Step 4. Pour the brown butter and mix with a rubber spatula (photo 2). 

Step 5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with granulated sugar and a pinch of salt with an electric mixer for 20-30 seconds (photo 3). The egg whites should be slightly mounted. Divide the whites into three parts.

Step 6. Add the first part of egg whites to the main preparation and mix well with a hand whisk. Add the second and third parts of the whites, vigorously mixing each time with a whisk (photo 4).

Step 7. Cover the batter with plastic wrap in contact and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 8. Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Using a piping bag or a spoon, fill each cavity of a financier mold up to ⅔ and sprinkle with chopped pistachios (photo 5).

Step 9. Bake cakes for 12 minutes. Let them cool for 3-5 minutes (photo 6), then remove from the mold.

To serve, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Expert tips

1. Watch the brown butter: cook it until the milk solids turn golden and smell nutty, then remove it from the heat right away so it doesn't burn.
2. Do not overwhip the egg whites: beat them just until frothy, not to stiff peaks, so the financiers stay light with a soft crumb.
3. Chill the batter: resting it in the fridge for at least an hour firms the butter and helps it rise and crisp up.
4. For crisper edges: use a little less batter per cavity so the cakes bake into thin, crunchy-edged mounds.
5. For a greener color: rub the papery skins off the pistachios and choose young, deep-green nuts, since the green fades to yellow as they age.
6. Serve fresh: financiers have the best texture a few hours after baking, so dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Recipe variations

• Classic almond: replace the ground pistachios with almond flour, and add a drop of almond extract for the traditional version.
• Raspberry: press one to three fresh raspberries into the top of each cake before baking.
• Berry: top with blueberries or chopped strawberries for a fruity finish.
• Coconut: swap the pistachios for the same weight of finely ground shredded coconut.
• Spiced: add a pinch of cardamom, a few drops of rose water, or a little saffron for a floral, aromatic twist.
• Gluten-free: replace the all-purpose flour with white rice flour or another gluten-free flour.
• Mini muffins: multiply the ingredients by 1.5 and bake in a mini muffin pan, buttering and flouring each cavity and adding a few minutes to the bake time.

Storing & freezing

Financiers are best enjoyed the same day they're baked, since their texture deteriorates slightly within a few hours. Store pistachio financiers in an airtight container in a cool place for 2-3 days (acme chefs, osay up to a week).

To freeze, wrap the financiers well in plastic and aluminum foil and store them for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or for about an hour at room temperature to keep condensation off the surface.

Recipe FAQ

Can you replace ground pistachios with pistachio flour?
You can use store-bought or homemade pistachio flour in Place of ground pistachios. It works well, though it slightly changes the texture of the financiers.

What is the difference between financiers and madeleines?
Financiers are nut-based cakes baked in rectangular molds, made with almond or pistachio flour and brown butter. Madeleines contain no nuts, are usually citrus-flavored, and bake in shell-shaped molds.

Why do you chill the financier batter?
Chilling firms the brown butter in the batter, which helps the cakes rise better and develop crisp edges during baking.

Can you make pistachio financiers gluten-free?
Yes. Replace the all-purpose flour with white rice flour or another gluten-free flour, and the batter comes together the same way.

What is the best mold for financiers?
A silicone financier mold is easiest because the cakes release without greasing. You can also use a buttered and floured metal financier mold or a mini muffin pan.

How many calories are in a pistachio financier?
Each pistachio financier has about 167 calories. See the recipe card below for full nutrition information.

Love French tea cakes? Try these next!

• Classic French madeleines
• Raspberry madeleines
• Lemon poppy seed madeleines
• Blackberry friands
• Raspberry friands
• Chocolate financiers
• Browse all the small cake recipes

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from www.cuisinedaubery.com. It was originally published on May 16, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos.