Orange Hazelnut Mini Cakes

Orange Hazelnut Mini Cakes aka financiers are just what your afternoon tea/coffee has been missing. Not quite a dessert and definitely not a cookie, these little morsels have just enough sweetness to satisfy and heft to tide you over until dinner as the french would say.

And leave it to the French, they always have the perfect sweet for any occasion!

"Financier"...although the word sounds fancy,  the word for these delectable little sweets comes from their shape - which traditionally is a small rectangle. When baked, they resemble small gold bars - hence the name!

And as they saying goes "we are what we eat"... so perhaps there is a bit of wishful thinking in there, no?

But back to that shape. I  do not possess such pans and although they are readily available in good cookware stores, I have resisted purchasing them.  I don't make these Orange Hazelnut Mini Cakes very often and have found that a mini muffin tin works beautifully.

So, until I get my 1,000 sq. ft. kitchen with both pantry and butler's pantry - those sweet little pans will not be making an appearance in this kitchen.

But these Orange Hazelnut Mini Cakes? They are welcome, anytime!

If you enjoyed these little mini cakes, you might also enjoy...

• French Sugar Puffs
• Lemoncello Yogurt Cake
• Whole Wheat Chocolate Glazed Donuts
• Van de Kamp's Date Nut Bread

Recipe for Orange Hazelnut Mini Cakes

Orange Hazelnut Mini Cakes

Orange Hazelnut Mini Cakes, aka "financiers" are not quite a dessert or a cookie but a sweet little treat to enjoy with tea or coffee. 

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 24

Calories: 117kcal

Author: Nancy Buchanan

Ingredients

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• zest of 1 large orange
• Juice of ½ orange
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 3 large egg whites
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar

Instructions

• Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease two 12 count mini muffin pans.
• Add hazelnuts to a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Rub skins off and let cool.
• Add the hazelnuts to a food processor.
• Add the flour and salt and pulse until the mixture is finely ground.
• Add the butter to a small saucepan and cook until the butter foams and then browns, about 6 - 8 minutes.
• When cool, stir in the vanilla.
• Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
• Combine the honey, orange juice and zest in a small saucepan and gently heat. Stir to combine.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites.
• Add the brown sugar and whisk until smooth.
• Fold in the flour/hazelnut mixture in two additions, making sure all the flour has been incorporated before adding more.
• Fold in the butter.
• Evenly divide the batter between the muffin tine and bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
• After removing from the oven let cool for 5 minutes and then remove the cakes to a cooling rack.
• Using a pastry brush, glaze the mini cakes with the orange and honey mixture.
• Let cool

Nutrition

Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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