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sesame financiers

Sesame financiers

These honey sesame financiers are a delicious twist on the traditional French financier. They use ground sesames and browned butter for a nutty, fragrant flavor. They’re perfect bite-sized treats for snacks or tea time!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 6 large financiers

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Muffin tin or other mold

Ingredients
  

  • 70g (5 tbsp) unsalted butter
  • 50g (1/3 cup) white sesame seeds
  • 8g (1 tsp) honey
  • 65g egg whites - about 2 large egg whites
  • 60g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
  • 25g (3 tbsp) all purpose flour
  • 1g (1/8 tsp) salt
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds (for sprinkling on top)

Instructions
 

Brown the butter

  • Place unsalted butter in a small, light-colored saucepan (to better monitor the color changes) over medium heat
  • Allow the butter to melt completely, then continue cooking. The butter will go through several stages: it will foam, then the foam will subside, and the milk solids will begin to separate and sink. The milk solids will look like small white beads
  • On medium heat, stir occasionally and watch closely as the milk solids at the bottom start to turn golden brown and the butter releases a nutty aroma. Immediately remove the pan from heat to prevent burning, and pour into a separate bowl. Let cool slightly before using. You should have about 55g of browned butter

Grind the sesame seeds

  • Use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to grind the sesame seeds into a fine flour. Do not mix for too long, as the sesame seeds could turn into a paste

Make the batter

  • In a mixing bowl, add the brown butter. It should be slightly cooled, but still liquid. Add the honey and egg whites and whisk to combine
  • Add the powdered sugar and whisk until dissolved
  • Add the ground sesame, all purpose flour, and salt and mix until well combined
  • Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes so that the butter sets before baking

Bake

  • Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175℃) and grease your muffin tin
  • Fill the muffin tins with batter, about a third of the way up the sides. You should get about 6 financiers using a standard muffin tin. Lightly sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds
  • Bake for 14 - 15 minutes until the sides and edges are a deep golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean

Notes

  1. The process of browning the butter will lead to some loss in mass. Of the original 70g of butter, you should have about 55g of browned butter in total to add to your batter.
  2. The bake time will vary depending on the size of the molds you choose to use, and how thick you make your financiers. If you decide to use a smaller mold (e.g., mini muffin tins), I would recommend starting with an 8 minute bake time and adding more time as needed.
  3. You can substitute the sesame seeds with any sort of nut flour, though of course at that point they will not be sesame flavored.
Keyword financiers, sesame