Download Our Summer Menu Collection

Since summer entertaining should be a breeze, this collection, designed with simplicity in mind, features 20 easy-to-follow recipes and a few menu suggestions. Download this PDF, which includes recipes for starters, main courses, side dishes, and desserts.

  Surprise Me!

Recipe for Financiers a Sweet French Treat

Cakes & Cookies · David Scott Allen · Dessert · Provencal Recipes · Taste

Almond and browned butter are the main ingredients of a little French pastry called a financier. Originally, these pastries were called visitandines, named after the order of French nuns who created the recipe in the Middle Ages. I’m not sure in what shape the Sisters of the Visitation made them but, in the late 1800s, they were made by a bakery in the finance district of Paris as little rectangular cakes in the shape of gold ingots, thus the name financiers. Continue reading here to learn more about the history of these sweet treats.

French Almond Financiers

French Almond Financiers (Visitandines)

blankDavid Scott Allen
Delicious sweet small cakes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Resting Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 24

Ingredients
 
 

  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 oz almond flour finely ground (roughly 3/4 cup)
  • 4 oz Sugar 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp
  • 2 tbsp All-purpose Flour
  • pinch sea salt
  • 3 oz egg whites roughly 1/3 cup

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with baking spray (the kind with flour).
  • Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet (don’t use a nonstick skillet — it makes it hard to see when the butter is brown) over medium-high heat. Cook the butter, stirring and scraping constantly with a spatula until butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma — about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer butter to a heat-proof bowl and set aside.
  • Whisk together almond flour, sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Add egg whites and combine using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth. Stir in butter until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about half to two-thirds full).
  • Bake until edges are well-browned and tops are golden — about 13-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately invert a cooling rack on top of the pan. Invert rack and pan, and carefully remove the pan. Turn the cakes right side up and let them cool for 20 minutes before serving.
  • They last for several days in an airtight container but are best eaten the day they are made. Once they are in a container, they lose the crispy edges, but the flavour is still wonderful.
Keyword Almonds, Butter
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Classic French Cookies:

Lemon Madeleines Tastes Provence

Madeleines a Classic French Recipe

Sweet Citrus Clementine Flavoured Madeleines

Lemon Madeleines

Chocolate Madeleines

Navettes de Marseille

Croquants – Croquets a Provencal Christmas Dessert

Chocolate Macarons with Chocolate Ganache

Please share this with friends and family.
Explore France
,
Legal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication Information
 
Affiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.

Related Provence Articles

Carolyne Kauser-Abbott · Local Food Producers · Provencal Recipes · Taste

The Summer Truffle Festival in Aups is a Culinary Treat – Don’t Miss Out!

June 23, 2025
Located between the Mediterranean coast and the Alps, the village of Aups sits at 505 metres (1,657 ft). Considered the capital of the Haut-Var, this mid-sized town has a population of roughly 2200 residents. However, on a busy summer weekend, Aups attracts many visitors. It is considered the “gateway” to the Verdon Regional Natural Park, …
Continue Reading
Carolyne Kauser-Abbott · Hotels Provence & Cote d'Azur · Restaurant Recommendations · Stay: Accommodation & Rentals in Provence · Taste

Where to Eat in Provence? Domaine la Pierre Blanche is a Food Lovers’ Paradise

June 18, 2025
As the sun gracefully dips behind the Alpilles, the landscape is bathed in a gentle golden glow that dances across the grapevines, offering a prelude to an enchanting evening in Provence. This region’s luminous light, which has long captured the imaginations of celebrated artists, serves as a backdrop to the “Rosé Mule,” a tantalizing cocktail …
Continue Reading
blank

David Scott Allen

David Scott Allen is the author, photographer, and cook behind Cocoa & Lavender, a weekly food blog based in Tucson, Arizona. Passionate about travel, he especially enjoys eating traditional foods and learning local customs, whether in the United States or around the globe.

David's first trip to France took place when he was 14, and he returned as often as possible thereafter. However, it wasn't until his 50th birthday that he finally made it south to Provence. The beauty, history, charm, warmth, cuisine, and - of course - the rosé wines captured his heart. He shares his Provençal recipes here on Perfectly Provence, and his food and wine pairings monthly on the Provence WineZine.

David is a firm believer that sharing a meal with friends around the table is one of life's greatest pleasures. And if it happens to be in Provence, all the better!

No Comment

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.