raspberry-almond financiers

when i saw these financiers on the back page of martha, i knew i wanted to make them for v-day; they just looked so delish. it finishes out my trifecta of raspberry baking this week. my hearts didn't come out quite looking photo perfect, but practice will make perfect. i would have also liked to have baked mine a little longer to get a crisper crust on top, but there's always next time. they tasted great, not too sweet and with that great almond flavor.

i brought them to work and they got gobbled up. i'm sure some people are just being nice to me, but i never realized how happy i would feel when people really genuinely expressed joy for what i bake. i love baking because it is peaceful, patient, and reflective. it is quiet time for me and releases all my stress. i love the tactility, i love the creativity, i love the smells and surprises. but even so, i still wouldn't be as thrilled about baking unless i knew it gave a small glimmer of happiness in every tasty morsel.

mini-hearts

be mine

raspberry-almond financiers: makes 45
from martha's mag (feb 2008, p. 216)

1 stick butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup honey
2 cups sliced blanched almonds (6 1/2 ounces), lightly toasted and finely ground
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
5 large egg whites
1 cup raspberries, puréed and strained

1. preheat oven to 350F. butter mini muffin tins (or use cooking spray).

2. heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking frequently until golden brown, 6-7 minutes. add honey, whisk until combined. remove from heat.

3. using mixer with whisk attachment, combine almonds, sugars, flour, and salt on low speed. raise speed to medium-high and add egg whites one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. reduce speed to low, and add warm butter-honey mixture in slow, steady stream. raise speed to high and beat for 45 seconds.

4. spoon batter into muffin cups, filling halfway. spoon scant 1/2 tsp raspberry purée near one edge of each cup. draw skewer through purée toward opposite edge of cup to form heart shape.

5. bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are golden brown, 15-20 minutes. let cool slightly in tins on wire racks. using small offset spatula, unmold financiers, and transfer to rack.