gluten-free chocolate financiers
I first learned about celiac disease from an old coworker who had it. “What do you mean you don’t eat no cookies?” I would joke in mock-Aunt Toula tone because it was just that absurd to me that he would be the only person in our whole department to not eat my baked goods with glee. It came back on my radar through my friend Joc’s coworkers, Kim and Kelly and their site, Celiac Chicks, but I still didn’t really get it. No flour, I’d think? More flourless chocolate cake, then! Big deal.
Oy, naivete stings in hindsight, doesn’t it? As it turns out, gluten allergies are a huge deal, affecting an estimated one percent of the population, and according to the NIH, the single most under-diagnosed disease in the world. Gluten is the elastic protein in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and possibly oats, and celiac is an intestinal disorder where the body attacks these foods as if they were a virus. Of course, in our foggily food-sourced world, avoiding gluten is a labyrinth: gluten hides menacingly in almost every processed food, disguised as modified food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable oil, caramel color, dextrin, and even natural flavors. The mold in blue cheeses often started on bread. A breadcrumb could make Shauna sick for three days.
But her book is not a sob story. In fact, it’s just gorgeous, and in the kind of synchrony that seems to be happening all too often to me lately, Alex and I were wandering around downtown on Saturday and paused at an adorable pastry shop called Financier on Stone Street. We split a chocolate financier and I immediately declared them to be my new favorite baked good: cakier than a cookie, richer thank cake, more delicate than a brownie and just the perfect size, I vowed to make them at home soon.
Little did I know that Gluten Free Girl has a gluten-free version of them on page 47. They took 30 minutes to make, batter to cooling rack. They take much less time to grow fiercely addicted to.
One year ago: Spinach Quiche, Dominican Beans and Granola
Go Orange: Though the official campaign has ended, I do hope that you consider donating to The Food Bank’s NYC Goes Orange Campaign to help them raise funds for the holiday season. I don’t want my redecorating efforts to be for nothing!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Financiers
Gluten-Free Girl, via David Lebovitz
Makes 15 one-inch cookies
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup almond flour*
4 tablespoons Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup egg whites (approx. two large)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease and flour financier molds or mini-muffin tins. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set it aside until it reaches room temperature.
Mix the almond flour with the cocoa powder, salt, and powdered sugar. Stir the egg whites and almond extract into the almond mixture, then gradually stir in the melted butter until incorporated and smooth. Spoon the batter into the molds, filling them three-quarters full.
Bake the financiers for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are slightly puffed and springy to the touch. Remove them from the oven and let cool completely before removing the financiers from the molds.
Once cooled, financiers can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
* I made this by pulsing blanched almonds in the food processor until they were reduced to a powder. However, if you can find it in the store, the texture will be less gritty (the best I could do was a cornmeal consistency). Either work.
Yum! I love things that are gluten free, not because of health, but because it means that the person cooking the item had to be creative with the food. It takes a lot of energy (more than I have) to make something taste like the original without bogging it down with chemicals.
I’m passing this recipe on to my sister because my brother-in-law is a has celiac’s. He’ll LOVE it since he’s often the one going, “Bah, flour!”
Awwww they’re gonna love this! So good to shout-out an increasingly common allergy! Like I have always said to my girls at work–Wheat Free is Sexy!!
This by no means, means that you’re off grounding for missing URTC. I am still thinking of the appropriate punishment. Mmmmmmm??? Or maybe a reward is called for? I smell Empanadas!!
FYI – if you grind the almonds with the powdered suger for about 10 minutes you will end up with a pretty fine powder. This works well for macaroons, too.
It’s weird you should talk about this, a cousin of mine was just diagnosed with gluten allergies. The financiers look delicious.
your photos always amaze me. Not sure if you knew that I featured you ahile back on Today’s Creative Blog. http://todayscreativeblog.blogspot.com
I now have a blinkie for all feature creative blog bloggers. If you’d like one, please email me at krjdemmon[at]comcast[dot]com
Wowie, second almond flour I’ve run across this week. I have bought almond flour (finely ground almonds) at my local farmer’s market in Northern California. Since I’ve moved across country they just don’t grow almonds out here! I’ve resorted to calling ahead of time when I visit my folks and having a large supply on the plane ride home, or ordering from King Arthur flour’s website. It’s easier to order from the website. Otherwise if your farmer’s market carries ground almonds it’s most likely with the skin on.
Yummers!
Our paths must have nearly crossed last weekend.
Thanks for taking the time to help educate more people about celiac disease…and in a serious, yet positive way.
Mmmm! I am so excited to see Shauna read here next weekend. My mom and brother (and about 1/3 of my other relatives) have celiac. I avoid gluten and avoid giving it to my girls since it seems not everyone is born with CD but there is some “trigger” later in life and no one knows what it is and it’s not neccesarily recognized immediately. Thus, we live a mostly GF existance. Add dairy-free to that, too, and things get even more interesting! Really, it just means we eat lots of whole foods which is actually a lot more fun anyway. I can’t wait to try the baking recipes in this book as I’m getting a little tired of boxed mixes. The GF products are a god-send, but I’d like to start playing on my own when I have the time.
Another delicious looking recipe, and I’m buying Shauna’s book this week, without a doubt. I love real cookbooks.
We must be on a similar craving quest! I just posted gluten-free cocoa pumpkin muffins on my site yesterday. Nothing like rich, dark chocolate to motivate creative baking. Especially the good stuff (I use Dagoba Cacao Powder because it’s high-quality and guaranteed gluten-free). I will definitely try this recipe you have here as I made mine up in an impromptu free-style baking frenzy and it could use a bit of tweaking.
Your blog is one of my favorites, even though you are a “regular” girl in the sense that you use “regular” flour most of the time. Like Shauna, I have celiac disease (so does my daughter) and live in a gluten-free world. No wheat? No worries! I’m also a Nutrition Therapist who specializes in celiac disease and gluten intolerance and am SO thrilled when someone like you dabbles with GF baking and increases awareness for celiac disease. This is where I will refrain from overdoing my enthusiasm, I don’t want to scare you off. But WELCOME! The abundance over here on the “alternative” side of cooking is almost overwhelming. I’m a huge fan of mesquite flour and am dabbling with green pea flour and also some wonderful NEW flours from a group of growers up in northwest Montana — not to mention the other 20 or so “exotic” flours jamming the shelves of my refrigerator. So thank you for the recipe and for giving GF baking and celiac disease some exposure!
Hey Deb, I forgot to ask where you got the info on “vinegar sometimes being poured through wheat” ? In the US most vinegar is made from corn and distilled, eliminating the gluten. In the past there was a rumor that vinegar had gluten in it. The celiac non-profits have been working very hard to dispel this myth since it eliminates a lot of foods that normally would be safe to eat. The one vinegar that is definitely NOT safe is malt vinegar. Anyhow…not to be nitpicky…I just was curious as to the source of your vinegar info. Thx.
yeee. doesn’t all that almond flour make it a bit fatty?
They look fantastic, Deb!
Oh Deb. I’ve been enjoying your blog for ages, and even signed up with Culinate and voted for you to win the barbecue trip. I’ve used several of your delicious recipes with great success. Your photos are always lovely.
I checked out Gluten-Free girl’s blog after this post. I’m sorry to report that Ms. Ahern’s writing is atrocious and her photos leave a lot to be desired. I don’t understand all the commas, the twee, ridiculous writing, and downright unappetizing photos. Why does she cry all the time? Please, no more pimping of that hack’s book. Yuck. She’s a terrible writer and photographer.
Deb,
Can you make these with Splenda instead of sugar? Then they would be carb-free as well as gluten-free.
??
Deb, thanks so much for posting this recipe. I love financiers! I first discovered them while working in a madeleine factory in California. Working with almond flour is a lot of fun – I’ve added it to a vegan chocolate cake I make and it moistens up the cake nicely. I have bought almond meal/flour at Trader Joe’s, and it’s worked well in all the recipes I’ve used it in. I like it in a more cobbly consistency rather than a powdery consistency, which gives things a more rustic feel. Anyway, love your blog and Flickr account, and your photos are lovely. BTW, I really enjoyed your Jackson Heights set (I asked to use one of them when I wrote a piece for outerb.com).
Keep up the good work!
Wait…a special-needs diet food that looks..amazingly delicious?
You wield witchcraft here, deb! Witchcraft I say!
Wow…Incredibly delicious looking.
I’ve heard gluten-free and dairy-free diets can help children with autism and asperger’s syndrome. I wonder what the connection is. Anyway, I think it’s awesome you did such a nice, PSA-like post. :)
I’ve recently been incorporating more gluten-free ingredients into my life and this looks like one more fantastic recipe to add to the mix! Thanks for the gorgeous pics!!
Since discovering that wheat was making my husband chronically ill, I started to bake with organic spelt flour. He has no problems since I made the switch. It doesn’t work well for bread, but I make great muffins, pancakes, chocolate cake, etc. with it. Has anyone else found success with this ancient grain?
I can’t wait to try out this yummy looking recipe.
Deb, those financiers are GOR-GE-OUS. I can’t wait to try ‘em.
Ann,
I’m happy that spelt is working for your husband. It’s true that some people feel better eating spelt instead of refined wheat flour.
I just wanted to make sure that you and the other readers know that spelt is still wheat and has gluten, therefore, those on a gluten-free diet can’t eat spelt.
Trader Joes and whole foods usually have gound almond/almond flour…at least they do in California. Almond flour is fun to play with – great flour sub for coating chicken etc…
Long time reader, first time commenter. These look fantastic and I’m actually going to a get together in two weeks and the hostess thinks she may have celiac, so these will be perfect for me to bring.
Thanks for the recipe! Also, I made the pumpkin bread pudding this weekend and it turned out great. Soooo gooood…thanks again!
Sooooo many chocolate desserts to make and hardly any time. What to do!
Ann — Yes, Kelly’s right, spelt is actually a derivative of wheat and for people with celiac disease, it’s part of the “do not touch” stuff. Kamut and spelt are similar and are varieties of wheat, but are sometimes listed as wheat-free. It’s definitely misleading and neither are gluten-free. Some people do tolerate it better though. If you’d like a detailed list of gluten-free flours to bake with, I’d be happy to share that with you. :-) My refrigerator is bursting at the seams with alternative flours.
I guess if almond flour is not actually flour (which we would be nutty to duspute), then this is actually completely flour free and your coworker is safe. Looks fab all the same.
they look yummy! I will make them soon and let you know how it goesmmmmm
Gosh this looks so delicious. Can’t wait to make it on the weekend hopefully.
Question: Does it have to be almond extract?
totally unrelated to this recipe, but:
i was looking through your Flicker photos, and there were some comments posted about crying when cutting onions. This tip that someone gave me works pretty well: have a burning candle near by while chopping, and somehow the flame burns off the gases that make you tear up. Seems to work for me…hope it helps!
Sharon — That’s great advice! Thank you. I will definitely try it next time.
thisKat — I am also *trying* to go back and tag old recipes that I believe to be gluten-free (though feel free to correct, if anyone finds an error) as such, so that they will be easier to find.
CeliacChick — You know, I had pulled it off a blog; I think the author had missed the mistake and I let her know. I’ll update the post shortly.
Sue — I like that idea of using it to coat other things! I can imagine it would be a wonderful swap, at least in part, in cookies and cakes, too.
Mrs.Dolce — Funny you mention that; I realized as I was making them (uh, 11:45 on Saturday night) that I was out and used vanilla instead. I don’t think it matter. I think the almond will bring out the almond flavor, but I even think that a splash of orange liqueur would be wonderful, if you like that orange/chocolate/almond thing. Oooh, or zest! I can’t wait to experiment more soon.
Kalle — My sister-in-law told me that as well. Now I keep a candle in the kitchen. I don’t actually remember to use it, but I do have a lovely candle there. It’s a step, right?
I just wanted to say in response to Michelle that I happen to find gluten-free girl’s writing inspiring and heartfelt. I spent 2 hours reading her archives and found myself tearing up more than a few times (oh, to have a man like The Chef!! those baby blues!! the romanticism!! swoon). So thank you Deb, for linking to her, because I discovered another writer to add to my list.
This recipe made it for me: I hit the “Purchase” button and my Gluten-Free Girl book should be on its way. Almond flour … So smart.
*Update to comment #9*
I bought the book yesterday, it’s fantastic.
These look beautiful and delicious. And I love that the recipe doesn’t call for sorghum flour or some crazy wheat alternative like that. Recipes that are naturally gluten free are the best. Thanks for posting.
i have been wanting to make financiers for a while now. thank you for the inspiring recipe!
Just a warning… if you’re serving these to people with gluten allergies, you shouldn’t “grease and flour” the tins. Unless you’re using a gluten free flour.
Mmmm. What a great recipe – thanks for sharing! It’s so hard to find yummy tasting gluten-free food for my son but we’re getting much better at it :)
“* I made this by pulsing blanched almonds in the food processor until they were reduced to a powder. However, if you can find it in the store, the texture will be less gritty (the best I could do was a cornmeal consistency). Either work.”
I make my own almond flour. In order to get my almonds the consistency of a fine flour, I store them in the refrigerator. Cold, the almonds make a fine powder when ground in a coffee mill. If I want the flour even finer, I freeze it and then give it another round in the coffee mill. Chilling the almonds seems to do the trick.
I just made these the other day….they are incredibly delicious and I can’t believe i waited so long to make them (the price of almond flour held me back, but my husband pointed out that I deserved some treats after going gluten free and holding firm in the face of pizza night….). They were very, very good and I plan to make them often.
wow, these look amazing! i am going to make them AND post a link to them on my website. thanks!!!
Do you think these could be used as a base for black-bottom cupcakes? (for my cheesecake-loving gluten free friend!)
I love chocolate and almond and these were super easy to make (with left over egg whites). But I accidentally put in only 1/2 C sugar (instead of 3/4) and the final product is definitely lacking in sweetness particularly since I used the natural cocoa (all I had -instead of dutch processed). So I added semi-sweet chocolate chips to the 2nd batch and they were definitely a lot better but still lacking…..in something. I’ll be making these again coz they are good – just have to experiment a bit more with them (and add the right amount of sugar next time!!). Thanks Deb.