Elizabeth Bard’s Financiers aux Abricots et à la Lavande
This recipe for a sweet snack, mini-cakes, comes from Elizabeth Bard’s latest book Picnic in Provence: A memoir with Recipes. The author combines the flavours of Provence apricot and lavender in a traditional French dessert. The recipe is published with the author’s permission.
Mini–Almond Cakes with Apricot and Lavender - Financiers aux Abricots et à la Lavande
Just as the first sun-kissed apricots arrive at the market, lavender fields all over Provence are bursting into bloom. They are a perfect pair. These mini–almond cakes are gluten free, a treat for a special summer breakfast or teatime in the garden.
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp Unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp Sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tsp Almond extract (or a few drops of real bitter almond essence, if you can find it!)
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups Almond meal (ground almond flour)
- 1 good pinch Coarse sea salt
- ¼ tsp Lavender grains, plus a few for garnish
- 6 small Apricots, halved & pitted
- 1 tsp Light brown sugar or raw cane sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat un- til combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the almond and vanilla extracts; fold in the ground almonds until thoroughly combined. Add a good pinch of coarse sea salt and the lavender grains to the mix. Stir to combine.
- Line a muffin tin with aluminum-foil cupcake wrappers (paper wrappers will stick). Divide the batter evenly into 12 mini-cakes (a heaping tablespoon of batter for each should do it).
- Place an apricot half, skin side down, in the center of each mini- cake. Place 1 or 2 lavender grains (resist the urge to add more) on each apricot. Sprinkle the fruit with a pinch of brown sugar.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. I peel the wrappers off before serving, but you don’t have to, especially if you are taking them on a picnic or otherwise transporting them.
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