Cyril Lignac's financier recipe: easy, moist and foolproof

I remade this financier recipe after seeing the famous Cyril Lignac challenge: the idea is to obtain a soft, almost melt-in-your-mouth financier, with that little taste of toasted hazelnut (see also hazelnut spread) that makes all the difference… without complicating things.

In the spirit of Cyril Lignac, it's all about simplicity: an easy recipe, a quick recipe, and above all, a perfectly executed brown butter. It's this detail that transforms a simple financier cake into a true French pastry, perfect for an afternoon snack (or dessert) that you'll want to make again and again.

Brown butter is simply butter that's heated until it turns amber and smells nutty. You don't need to be a professional pastry chef to make it: just keep an eye on it, smell it, and stop as soon as it's ready. Then, mix it together like a classic financier batter: egg whites (without whipping them), sugar, almond flour, flour, and that's it. The result is foolproof as long as you don't overcook it.

To suit the season and add a little homemade twist (without betraying the spirit), I add diced pears and a few raspberries: it brightens the buttery flavor, keeps it moist, and provides a tangy contrast. It's the kind of detail I love to see in an Exquis Magazine: simple, but well thought out.

You can bake them in financier molds or mini-muffin tins. And if you like an even stronger nutty flavor, a handful of hazelnut flour instead of some of the almond flour works perfectly. In short: a financier recipe in the style of Cyril Lignac, with the aroma of brown butter and a soft, yet firm texture.

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Financier, Cyril Lignac style

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

5.0 based on 1 vote(s)

Type of dish: dessertKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: easy

Parts

4

parts

Preparation time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

My recipe for financiers, inspired by Cyril Lignac's style, with a fragrant brown butter for a moist and almost melt-in-your-mouth financier. A quick and easy financier cake, perfect for dessert when you want a fast and neat French pastry.

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Ingredients

• 80g butter (for brown butter)

• 120g sugar of icing

• 50g of flour

• 70g of almond flour

• 20g of hazelnut powder

• 3 egg whites (approximately 90 g)

• 1 pinch of salt

• 1 ripe pear (about 150 g), diced

• 60g of raspberries (fresh or frozen)

• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly butter your financier molds (or a mini-muffin mold).
• Prepare the brown butter: melt the butter in a small saucepan. Heat until it turns a hazelnut (amber) color and smells of nuts. As soon as small particles brown at the bottom, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to stop the cooking process.
• In a bowl, mix the icing sugar, flour, almond flour, hazelnut flour and salt.
• Add the egg whites (without whipping them) and mix just to obtain a smooth batter.
• Pour the warm (not hot) brown butter in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Add the vanilla if you are using it.
• Gently fold in the diced pears. Save the raspberries for last (otherwise they will color the batter too much).
• Divide the batter among the molds, filling them 3/4 full. Place 2 to 3 raspberries on each financier.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes: the edges should be golden brown, the center just set and still soft. Let cool for 10 minutes before unmolding.
• Serve warm or at room temperature: that's when the soft financier is most enjoyable.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 portion (approx. 125 g, or ~3 financiers)

* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

📝 Notes

These will keep for 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. To restore their softness, bake them for 5 minutes at 150°C (300°F) or for 10 seconds in the microwave. The dough can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator (bake on the day of use).

💡 Chef's Tips

The real key is the cooking time: take them out as soon as they're golden brown, otherwise they'll lose their melt-in-your-mouth texture. For a clean brown butter, you can strain it (optional) before adding it to the batter.

🔄 Variations

• A very classic version: remove the pear and raspberries, and add 40g of flaked almonds on top before baking.
• Chocolate version: add 60g of dark chocolate chips and replace the pear with a diced banana.

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.