French Financier Cake by JUSTINE TANACHIAN

INGREDIENTS 

• 75g butter (melted and turned into beurre noisette)
• 40g orange peel confit
• 50g sifted flour
• 120g powder sifted  sugar
• 50g almond flour (2/3 skinless almonds, 1/3 almonds with skin)
• 4 egg whites
• 30g chocolate chunks finely chopped
• 50 g skinless roasted hazelnut finely chopped

METHOD

• Melt the butter on a very low heat until you get a light brown color and a nutty smell “beurre noisette”, for approximately 5 minutes
  
• Strain the butter to separate the brown residue (milk protein) from the clarified butter, allow to cool at room temperature
  
• Meanwhile, roast the hazelnuts on very low heat, and swirl them from time to time in the pan
• In a food processor, grind the almonds to turn them into flour
• In a bowl, sift the ground almond, flour and sugar, then add the egg whites into the mixture, and mix energetically
• Add the chopped orange peel confit, then the cooled melted butter, and mix
• Add the chocolate chips and mix
• Once the hazelnuts are roasted, transfer them into a clean towel, and rub gently to peel them off
• Pulse the hazelnut in the food processor to chop them coarsely, then add them to the batter
• Refrigerate the covered batter bowl for at least 8 hours, (ideally overnight)
• Butter generously the muffin tin, and scoop the chilled batter into the mold using an ice cream scooper or spoon
• Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for around 15 minutes
• Serve at room temperature