Blueberry Lemon Financier
This quick and easy cake presents beautifully but is also very practical. It is a perfect way to use up any fruit you may have on hand. Right now I have an abundance of summer blueberries, so I have paired them with lemon juice and lemon zest to make the perfect combo. In the Fall you can feel free to swap out the ground almonds for hazelnuts, the blueberries for figs or pears, and change the lemon flavoring to hazelnut liquor. Yum!
Blueberry Lemon Financier
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups ground Almonds
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
zest of 2 lemons
6 tablespoons avocado oil (or other neutral oil- like canola or safflower)
6 egg whites
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups blueberries
2 tablespoons apricot jam or jelly
1 tablespoon water
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. (or 325 degrees convection)
In the bowl of a stand mixer, place your ground almonds, flour, sugar and lemon zest. Mix for 1 minute. Add your oil. Mix for 1 minute on a medium speed. Add your egg whites in two additions, mixing for 1 minute after each pour. Add your lemon juice and vanilla and mix for another minute. Scrape down the bowl with a silicone spatula and mix for an extra 30 seconds.
Take an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and spray well with oil spray. Pour in your batter. Then sprinkle your blueberries over your cake and bake for 40- 45 min or until your cake is golden brown on the edges but still light in the middle. You will know it’s done because if you tap on the top of cake it feels hard, not sticky.
Toast your sliced almonds on a baking sheet for 5 minutes. Watch them carefully- they burn quickly!
When you are ready to serve and the cake is completely cooled, remove the cake from your tart pan and transfer to a cake plate. Take your jam and 1 tablespoon of water and warm it up under a small flame. Mix it around with a pastry brush to break up any lumps. Brush the warm jam around the outer edge of the cake (just about a 2-inch boarder). Take your sliced almonds and sprinkle them onto the jam. Then take your confectioner’s sugar and put it in a small sieve or strainer. Shake it over the almonds to create a pretty sugary snow for a beautiful presentation.
Plan ahead:
You can bake this cake the day before you need it and it will still taste fresh and delicious when you serve it. Alternatively, you can freeze the cake (wrap well in plastic wrap) and defrost it the night before you need it by leaving it out on your counter. However, the jam, nut application and powdered sugar should be done the day you serve.
