Are you getting a little bored, a little restless right now? Why not try some baking?

A couple of weeks ago, my family and a few others started this weekly game night where we get on a call together and play fun online games. As these game nights have gone by, we’ve started incorporating prizes to make it a little more competitive. Two of these game nights ago, it was our turn to “sponsor” the prize, so my mom got to work. Using a new recipe, she whipped out these delicious financiers which would be sent to the winners. It was another “first”, but nevertheless, I think they they were absolutely spot on. But before I talk more about these tasty baked treats, I want to give a big shoutout to Mrs. Botto for recommending the recipe to us.

For those of you that are confused, financiers are small French almond cakes that are very similar to madeleines, both in texture and flavor. The almond, buttery taste of the financiers alone will get you addicted to them, but in my opinion, it’s that soft, almost chewy texture that makes it the best. I almost choked  the first time I tasted them because I was rapidly stuffing one down my throat, wanting to get more of that baked goodness. Usually madeleines are lemon flavored, but I actually really enjoyed the fruit element. With all the flour and butter in these financiers, it’s nice to have something else to savor. They also preserve really well over time in the fridge, meaning they don’t dry up too fast.

Like always, I highly recommend this recipe. If you take time to make a whole bunch of financiers, you’ll be able to enjoy them for many weeks to come. If you go light on the butter and don’t put the powdered sugar, these could even make for the perfect snack! During a time like this, I’ve the feeling it could potentially hit the jackpot. Even better, if you don’t know what to get for a birthday present, want to give back to your community, or you just want to do something nice, why not surprise someone with these?

Recipe:

(Makes one dozen pieces)

Ingredients:

• 90g sugar
• 50g almond meal
• 40g flour
• 2 drops almond essence
• 1 dash cinnamon
• 3 egg whites
• 70g butter (we use 50g to make it healthier, this was recommended by Mrs. Botto)
• 250g fresh fruit (raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, peach, and apricot are good choices)

Instructions:

1. Mix everything except for butter and fruit in a bowl
2. Melt butter at medium heat in a pan for 7 minutes until it’s brown
3. Add the butter to the mixture in the bowl and cool in fridge for 1 hour
4. Get madeleine molds (muffin molds work too), and pour mixture into each one until they are about half full
5. Add 2-3 pieces of fruit on top and then pour more mixture until the entire mold is filled
6. Bake for 20 minutes in the middle of the oven at 350 F
7. Take out the financiers and immediately take them out of the mold
8. When cooled, sprinkle with confectioners (powdered) sugar and enjoy. If you want it to be more healthy, just don’t do the sugar.