From Melissa Clark via Nancy Frantz
Makes 2 Dozen
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pans
- 1 1/4-cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup hazelnut flour
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
- 1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg whites
- 24 whole hazelnuts, for garnish (opt)
Directions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter, letting it cook until it turns a dark golden brown and smells toasted, about 3 minutes. Do not let it get too brown. Pour it into a heatproof bowl or coffee mug and let it cool.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the confectioners; sugar, hazelnut flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Using the mixers’ whisk attachment on low speed, beat in the egg whites until the flour mixture is damp. Add the reserved butter and beat on medium-high speed until the batter is very smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Butter and flour 24 min muffin cups (or coat with nonstick spray). Divide the batter among the cups and top each one with a hazelnut, if using.
- Bake until the financiers are firm and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 11 to 17 minutes. Let them cool on a wire rack before unmolding.
Notes:
Batter: You can mix the batter up to 4 days before baking. Store it, covered, in the fridge.
Serving: these are best served within 2 days of baking. Store them in a sealed container at room temperature.
Warning: Don’t overcook. I baked mine a minute too long. 12 minutes was perfect, 13 was too long.