Rose almond financiers with rose cream and mini macarons – the perfect dainty treat for afternoon tea. Post sponsored by Volkswagen.
My virtual road trip with Volkswagen has taken us through Greece, ltaly, Germany, Spain and, finally, France. And I thought I would end our journey on a sweet note with a recipe that is both delicate and romantic – rose almond financiers.
Financiers, also known as friands on the other side of the globe, are dainty little cakes made with beurre noisette, ground almonds, egg whites and icing sugar. Traditionally baked in rectangular little moulds, the cakes were so named because they resemble bars of gold.
While my other recipes for Volkswagen were intended as possible road trip snacks, these dainty little cakes are more likely to be something you buy at a quaint local bakery while driving through France. l also made some rose macarons while indulging in this little flight of fancy – serving both for afternoon tea would be a special treat.
Financier batter is similar to that of madeleines – best rested in the fridge to firm up for at least an hour before using. It is fairly easy to make and perfect for customising with your favourite flavours. I used rosewater and petals because I had some begging to be used, but you can Iet your imagination guide you when it comes to flavourings and toppings.
Check out my ‘road trip’ recipes on the blog and make sure to check out the collaborative Pinterest board from Volkswagen for more inspiring DIY projects, recipes and ideas.
- 6 egg whites - I used 180g (6.3oz) pasteurised egg whites + pinch salt
- 150g | 5½ oz unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the moulds
- 175g | 6oz icing sugar
- 85g | 3oz ground almonds
- 50g | 2oz walnuts
- 1 tbsp rose petals
- 1 tsp rose water
- rose petals or freeze dried raspberries to decorate
- Topping
- 200g | 7oz double cream
- 150g | 5½ oz icing sugar
- 1 tsp rose water
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- Cut the butter into cubes and put in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, swirling the pan, until the butter melts and turns a light brown. Take off the heat and cool.
- Put the ground almonds, walnuts and rose petal in a mini food processor and process until finely ground.
- Whisk the egg whites and salt in a stand mixer until they form soft peaks.
- Sift the icing sugar and flour together and then fold into the egg whites together with the ground almonds.
- Fold in the browned butter gradually until the batter is smooth. Mix in the rose water.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag and chill in the fridge for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Pipe the batter into greased financier moulds or a greased silicone muffin pan.
- Bake for around 20 minutes until the cakes are firm on top and colouring at the edges.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place all the ingredients for the rose cream in your stand mixer and whisk at low speed to combine. lncrease to maximum speed until you have firm peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe small rosettes over the financiers.
- Sprinkle with rose petals or freeze dried raspberries and serve.
I do love financiers. The fact that they are naturally gluten free is a real bonus of course. But they are also light and delicious! The addition of rose sounds perfect for summer. And as always, your photos are beautiful! x