Recipe: Chocolate Financiers and Citrus Streusel

If you’ve got family staying for Easter or leftover chocolate to use up, these delicious French cakes are sure to impress

SERVES 6–8

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Refrigeration time: 2 to 3 hours

Equipment

1 piping bag

Baking sheet with financier molds

1 baking sheet or silicone baking mat

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Ingredients

Chocolate financiers

2 ¼ cups (6¾oz/190g) ground blanched almonds

1 generous cup (5½oz/150g) confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon (?oz/10g) cornstarch

1 ½ tablespoons (? oz/10g) unsweetened cocoa powder

9 egg whites

? cup (75 ml) whipping cream

1 ¾ oz (50g) bittersweet chocolate, 60 percent cocoa

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Citrus-flavoured almond streusel

4 tablespoons (1¾oz/50g) light brown sugar

Generous ½ cup (1¾oz/50g) ground blanched almonds

Generous ½ cup (1¾oz/50g) cake flour

Zest of ½ unwaxed orange

Zest of ½ unwaxed lemon

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (50g) butter

8 ½ oz. (240g) diced candied orange peel

Method

Prepare the chocolate financiers. Combine the ground almonds, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl. Lightly beat the egg whites with a fork to liquefy them. Incorporate the egg whites and whipping cream into the dry ingredients. Set aside the batter.

Chop the chocolate and melt it slowly in a bain-marie or in the microwave oven (on “defrost” or at 500W maximum, stirring from time to time).

Pour a little of the batter over the melted chocolate, stirring energetically with a flexible spatula to combine. Then fold this mixture back into the remaining batter carefully. Chill for at least 2 to 3 hours. This is an important stage in the recipe, as it will allow the financiers to rise well when baked.

Prepare the citrus-flavored almond streusel. Combine the brown sugar, ground almonds, flour, and finely grated zests in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small dice and mix it into the preparation using your hands until it reaches a crumbly texture.

Chill for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 300°F–325°F (150°C–160°C). Arrange the crumbly dough on a baking sheet or silicone baking mat. Bake for about 10 minutes, until nicely browned.

Prepare the financiers for baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C). Pour the chocolate batter into the molds and sprinkle with diced candied orange and baked streusel crumbs. Total baking time is 15 to 20 minutes. However, to ensure that the streusel and diced orange peel stay at the top of these little cakes, you may bake them in two stages. Bake the financier batter for 4 minutes, then sprinkle them with the two ingredients, and return to the oven for about 10 minutes.

Extracted from Encyclopedia of Chocolate by Frédéric Bau and École du Grand Chocolat Valrhona (Published by Flammarion 2018, £24.95).