Financiers with Lemon-Lime Curd... you had me at brown butter.

I was beginning to think that Spring might never arrive, it seems to me that it has been dark and rainy for years... but then again I am known to exaggerate a bit. On the bright side, when all seems dark and dreary the little things can really lift your spirits. For example on a typically dark rainy day several weeks ago I arrived home from work to find a parcel waiting for me. I ripped it open to find a lovely tin box of Chinese Flower Tea and a lovely little book sent from my friend Marieke. Marieke, though we haven’t seen each other since she moved to Texas a few years ago, is perhaps the most sunshiny person I have ever known, and this little gift was like a personalised ray of sunshine via Royal Mail. Though I am usually a coffee person I couldn’t wait to taste Marieke’s tea, but I thought it deserved an equally elegant and aromatic accompaniment and I knew just the thing...

I had wanted to make Financiers for a while now but I had been having some difficulty finding the right pans. I know that many people cook them in muffin pans, but I really wanted them to be the little gold bars that they were intended to be in origin (as they were so when first introduced in Paris’ financial district). Finally after a bit of a pan-palaver, involving having to cancel an order that had still not arrived after almost a month, I stumbled across the perfect sized pans (both standard and mini) almost by accident on Ebay listed as a silicone chocolate bar moulds.

Financiers are lovely little tea cakes made with ground almonds, sugar, egg whites and brown butter, also known as buerre noisette. It is worth noting that the difference between melted butter, brown butter and ultimately blackened butter, is no more than a sightly distracted conversation away, so pay attention. You will know when it is ready when the room fills with the smell of toasted hazelnuts. Mmmm... toasty buttered hazelnuts!

The lemon-lime curd is incidentally the result of the leftover egg yolks, but the zingy citrus contrasts perfectly with the rich buttery almond sponge as if they were somehow made for each other.

So even if the clouds above are grey and wet, these Financiers with Zingy Lemon-Lime Curd will surely to brighten your day..., whether you have them with tea or coffee.

Financiers
adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets... 
180 g unsalted butter
200 g caster sugar
100 g ground almonds
6 large egg whites
90 g plain flour

Put the butter in a small saucepan and bring it to the boil over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally. Allow the butter to boil until it becomes a rich brown colour. Pour the browned butter from the pan to a bowl (or it will continue to cook) storing it at room temperature

In a large bowl mix the sugar, flour, salt, and almond meal until blended. Add the egg whites, 1/3 at a time, until fully incorporated. Take a small amount of the batter (2 or 3 tbsp) and mix into the melted butter, once smooth and silky add to the rest of the batter- this will make it easier to combine the butter.

Cover the batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate from 1 hour to 3 days.

Preheat the oven 200 degrees °C. If you do not have silicone moulds, butter the financiers moulds dusting the interiors with flour and tap out the excess.

Fill each mold almost to the top with batter and bake in the middle of the oven for about 10-15 minutes (ovens can really vary!), or until the financiers are golden. When the are done you should be able to press down and they should spring back.

My moulds are about 9 x 4.5 cm (3 x 1 3/4 inches) but if you are making mini financiers you will have to adjust your cooking time accordingly.


Lemon-Lime Curd
250 g caster sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 large egg (whole, lightly beaten)
200 ml lemon or lime juice (or both)
120 g unsalted butter

Combine the butter, lemon juice and sugar in a bain-marie, stirring until the butter is melted sugar is completely dissolved.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring constantly and then add the lightly beaten egg. Continue stirring until the mixture thick and yogurty in texture- probably about 15-20 minutes.

Pour into sterilised jars or a plastic container if you are going to use it up fairly quickly.

Happy St Patrick's Day: Irish Soda Bread

Okay, this one is going to be quick. St Patrick's Day is upon us and I'm gonna keep it simple and fairly understated. Last year I made Guinness and Bailey's Cupcakes, very sweet and a bit over the top. This year staple food - bread. Soda Bread is technically more of a cake than a bread as it does not contain yeast but baking soda, but I figure if half the world can pretend it's Irish every March 17th then this cake can pretend it's bread.

The first time I had Soda Bread was many years ago in Cork, where my then flatmate was from. His mom, a lovely woman who filled me with so much tea I am pretty certain she had shares in a tea company, had made a loaf of what looked like stone and I really only tasted it to be polite. To my surprise I loved it!

Soda Bread is lovely with smoked salmon and dill but I could honestly eat an entire loaf with just butter. It takes no more than 10 minutes to mix up and then in the oven it goes.

Irish Soda Bread
200 g plain flour
200 g whole-meal flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons old fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
360 ml buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees °C and lightly oiled (or lined with parchment paper) baking tray.

Combine flours, sugar, oats, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add 300ml of the buttermilk. Mix with a spoon until the dough comes together, the dough should be moist but not sticky, add more milk if the dough is dry.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and kneed the dough until smooth, forming a round shape. Place the rounded dough on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cut a cross in the dough with a sharp knife.

Bake for about 40 - 50 minutes or until nicely browned. A handy trick for checking if (most) bread is done is by tapping the bottom of the bread - it will sound hollow. 


Happy St Patrick's Day!