Chocolate Financer

Its 5th Feb... World Nutella Day.. and I had a real goey-Nutella-y recipe in mind. So dreamily I went to the kitchen yesterday... thinking of all the goey deliciousness that was waiting for and Oh My... what do I see.. that jar of Nutella has been almost spooned clean.  I was almost in tears... It might have taken me a few minutes to get over that initial frustration ... and then I thought of making these Financier. Not Nutella Financier exactly but DELICIOUS none the less.

This recipe is from Around the French Table. One of Paris's most admired chocolatiers, Jean Paul Hévin gave this recipe to Dorie Greenspan. I did not change a thing about it. However a teaspoon of orange zest might have been a good idea so I added that in the recipe. Orange zest or otherwise these Chocolate Financiers are what perfection tastes to chocolate lovers. So bake some right away and indulge.... 

Chocolate Financier

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Recipe from Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours 

Prep time: 20 minutes                                                                     Cook time: 11-15½ minutes
Total time: 30 minutes                                                                     Yield: 26 mini muffins
Ingredients

• 4 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
• ⅔ cups heavy cream
• heaped ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 4 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup almond flour
• ⅛ tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 3 egg whites
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ⅛ tsp almond extract
• ½ tsp orange zest* (I did not add this but thought the financiers would taste even better with it.)

Cooking Directions

1. Center the rack and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Brown the butter. For this, cut the butter into pieces and add it in a small sauce pan. Bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat. Once the butter boils keep a close eye on it. The period between the time when the butter begins to take on the golden brown color and the point when it burns is very little. Switch off the heat as soon as the butter takes the hazelnut color and keep the pan aside.
3. In a separate saucepan bring the heavy cream to a full boil. 
4. Switching off the heat, add the chocolate chips to it and stir just until you have a smooth shiny ganache. Keep aside.
5. In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together and keep aside.
6. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites just until it is foamy.
7. Pour the egg whites over the dry ingredients.
8. Using a spatula, gently stir in the whites, followed by the melted butter and the chocolate ganache, just until the ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix.
9. Spoon the batter into 24 buttered mini-muffin molds, filling only ¾th of each mold.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-11 minutes, until the top of the cakes are dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Cool the cakes, about 3 minutes, before unmolding.

Notes

1. You can make the batter up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake. 
2. The baking time depends on the size of the molds. In cake you make muffin-sized financiers, you will need to bake these cakes for 15-15½ minutes.
3. You can also make these using ground hazelnuts instead of almond flour. I guess those will be quite Nutella-y......

In case you just want Nutella for Nutella Day, these might be a good idea..

One Minute Chocolate Cake

Orange Marmalade & Nutella Tartine

I shall be sharing this at the following parties.

Monday : Mix it up Monday, The Scoop, Made with love Monday, 
Marvelous Mondays @ This Gal Cooks, Recipe Sharing @ Jam Hands, Melt in your Mouth Monday, 
Inspiration Monday Party Recipe, Inspire Me Monday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop,Maniac Monday Linky Party

Meatless Monday:Meatless Monday My Sweet and Savory

Tuesday : Totally Tasty Tuesday @ Mandy's Recipe Box, Tasteful Tuesday Party @ Nap Time Creations, 
Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home ,  Hand Made Tuesday @ Ladybug Blessings
Share it Link Party @ Winthrop Chronicles,  Tasty Tuesday @ Anyonita Nibbles,  Hearth and Soul blog Hop, 
In & Out of the Kitchen @ Feeding Big & More, Tuesday's Table @ Love in the Kitchen

Wednesday : What's Cooking Wednesday @ Buns in my Oven, Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind the Curtain, 
Show and Share @ Semi Homemade Mom, Wine'd Down Wednesday, 
Wonderful Food Wednesdays at @ All She CooksWonderful Food Wednesdays at @ Mom's Test Kitchen Wednesday, Whatsit@White Lights on Wednesday, 
Wednesday Extravaganza @ Hunger Little Girl, Create & Share @ The Trendy Tree House,
What I Whipped Up Wednesday @ Sugar & Dots Look, What I Made @ Creations by Kara

Thursday: Link it Up Thursday @ Seven Alive, Fantastic Thursday @ Three Little Chiefs, 
Thriving on Thursdays @ Domesblissity,  Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage , 
 Freedom Friday @ My Turn,  Thursday's Treasures @ Food Done Light,Pin it Thursday @ Sweet Bella Roos

Friday : Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating,  Friday Linky Party @ The Pin Junkie, 
Get Him Feed @ Anyonita Nibbles, Friday Favorite (DYI too) @ Simple Sweet Home,  
Foodie Friday @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm, 
Weekend Wonders @ The Thriftiness Miss, Friday Food Frenzy @ Mostly Food and Crafts, 
Weekend Potluck @ Sunflower Supper Club, The Weekend re-Treat @The Best Blog Recipes