Peach, Cardamom & Pistachio Financiers

Hello, friend.

Peaches are in season, which means, of course, I just had to make some peach financers. These aren’t your Momma’s financers, though. These are made with pistachio meal, brown butter, and spiced with ground cardamom to make for the perfect late summer afternoon snack. I was inspired by both Chef John’s and Eva’s recipes, so I knew I needed to make some for myself. Financers are just a fancy name for an spongecake/muffin hybrid. A few years back, I tried this recipe for Peach & Pistachio Lassis and I fell in love with the combination of the cardamom, pistachios, and peaches working so well together. I decided to marry those three flavors into these financiers. For this recipe, I wanted to experiment and bit and work with different types of nut flours. I, for one, had no idea of the vast array and types of nut flours (and frankly, the different types of flours in general). There are so freaking many! Who knew!? Here I am in the landlocked Midwest, where all I’ve ever grown up knowing was all-purpose flour, learning and exposing myself to new types of flours, meals, and grains. It’s really cool! Oh no, you better watch out. My inner food nerd is coming out.

Exciting news: I have a new look to the site! What do you think of the new design?? I’m really enjoying it. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the old logos, so I think I found a visual aesthetic I genuinely enjoy. There seems to be a nice balance and symmetry to it all that I really like. Anywho, when you are reading this, I have just finished up the first week of the new semester. Sweet! I’ll be celebrating by hanging out with friends and working on some recipes for upcoming blog posts.  I have high hopes for the coming year. Cool things are happening people. I just signed on 4 new clients who I am obsessed with and excited to be working with on future projects. I’ll be doing a bunch of recipes on my site, on others sites, as well as collaborations and maybe a video or two. All in all, it’ll be a jolly fun time of treats, lots of pictures, and smiles. 

Peach, Cardamom & Pistachio Financiers

Original recipe adapted from Food Wishes

Ingredients

12 tablespoons brown butter or regular melted butter

6 egg whites

1 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup pistachio meal* or almond meal

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

6 tablespoons flour

12 small sliced of peach

*1 cup pistachios

Directions

For the pistachio meal. In a food processor, add in 1 cup of pistachios and pulse until a fine meal is formed. Don’t go too far or it will turn into pistachio butter (which sounds delicious, but not what we are looking for). You are aiming for something that looks like this.

For the financers. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 cup muffin tin. Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, if you are using regular melted butter, then stop here. For brown butter, cook over medium heat until the butter begins to turn a deep golden brown color. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, straining through a fine mesh strainer before adding it to the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, add the egg whites and sugar and whisk for a couple minutes or the egg whites become white and foamy (and resembling a crepe batter). Whisk in the salt, vanilla, pistachio or almond meal, ground cardamom, and flour until combined. Add in the strained brown butter or regular melted butter and whisk until completed incorporated.

Transfer batter to a 4 cup liquid measuring cup. I find that with a batter as liquid-y as this, you get more control with your pour and distribution. Fill each well about ¾ full. Bake for 5 minutes, then quickly remove the pan and place a thin peach slice on top of each financier. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing them and allowing to cool to room temperature.