HAZELNUT FINANCIERS
100g ground hazelnuts 170g sugar 70g flour 70g butter 3 egg whites 30ml liqueur 5ml vanilla. 50g icing sugar 15ml water toasted ground hazelnuts.
Oven: 180C/Gas 4
Serves: Can use a mixture of almonds and hazelnuts or pistachios. If using whole nuts grind with 1/2 sugar first.
Source: N.Malgieri
METHOD
Mix nuts, 1/2 sugar & flour. Melt butter add liqueur & vanilla, cool slightly. Beat egg whites & salt till soft peak, beat in 1/2 sugar till soft peak. Fold nut & butter mix into whites 1/3 at a time, beginning with nuts & ending with butter. Chill overnight. Butter & flour 60 mini brioche pans. Bring mix to room temp, stir well to deflate, pipe into moulds, bake 15-20 mins, cool slightly unmould. Mix icing sugar & water, dip tops of cold financiers, sprinkle with nuts.