Hazelnut And Buckwheat Financiers With Figs Recipes

HAZELNUT AND BUCKWHEAT FINANCIERS WITH FIGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast hazelnuts on a large rimmed baking sheet until skins are slightly darkened and split, 12-15 minutes. Let cool, then bundle in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove skins (there will definitely be some stubborn pieces that refuse to come off-do what you can). Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Whisk hazelnuts, powdered sugar, buckwheat flour, and salt in a medium bowl to combine.
• Cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it foams, then browns (be careful not to let it burn), 5-7 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Whisk egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy (you're not trying to create volume; you just want to break them up), then whisk into dry ingredients. Whisk in brown butter. Cover and chill batter until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Reheat oven to 350°F. Generously coat six 4-oz. fluted financier molds or a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Divide batter among molds (use about 1/3 cup batter per mold, or 2 mounded Tbsp. if using a muffin pan). Top with figs (if using) and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake until tops are browned and edges are firm, 20-25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let financiers cool 10 minutes in pans before turning out onto racks. Let cool completely.
• Batter can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

HAZELNUT FINANCIER WITH PLUM COMPOTE AND CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• One 10-inch springform or layer pan, buttered and the bottom lined with a disk of parchment or waxed paper, or 12 4-inch individual pans, buttered. Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Place the hazelnuts and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the flour. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking the butter until it colors slightly, swirling the pan to color it evenly. Remove from heat and add the rum and vanilla extract. Set aside to cool slightly. In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites with the salt until they form a very soft peak. Add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a very slow stream, whipping constantly. Continue whipping the egg whites until they hold a soft peak. Alternately fold the hazelnut and butter mixtures into the egg whites, 1/3 at a time. Begin with the hazelnut mixture and end with the butter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans. Smooth the top and sprinkle with the sliced or chopped hazelnuts. Bake the financier for about 50 minutes until well risen and golden, about 30 minutes for the individual cakes. The center of the cake should feel firm when pressed with the palm of the hand. Cool the financier briefly on a rack and remove pan and paper. If some of the hazelnuts on the surface fall off, replace them on the cake. Dust very lightly with confectioners' sugar.
• For the compote, rinse, pit and quarter plums. Combine sugar and lemon juice in a small pan and heat until sugar begins to melt. Stir occasionally until sugar turns to a deep amber caramel. Add butter and water carefully off heat to prevent splattering. Return to heat, bring to a boil and add plums. Simmer a minute or two, add cinnamon and cool. To serve, place a financier off center on a plate and spoon plum compote next to it. Top with Creme Fraiche.

FIG-HAZELNUT FINANCIERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter, letting it cook until it turns nut brown and smells toasted, about 5 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool. (Do not scrape up any black bits from the bottom of the pot.)
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, hazelnut flour, all-purpose flour and salt. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and set on low speed (or use a whisk and a strong arm), beat in egg whites until flour mixture is damp. Add butter and beat on medium-high speed (or vigorously by hand) until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. At this point, the batter can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
• Trim stems off figs and slice each one crosswise into 3 rounds; you will have 9 fig rounds.
• Butter and flour nine 1/2-cup muffin cups. Divide batter between cups and top each with a slice of fig. Bake until financiers are golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before unmolding.