Gluten Free Glazed Fruit Financiers

Grown up tea parties are the best. Something so simple but so out of the ordinary (at least here in the States it is – we’re jealous of the normalcy high tea and tea in general enjoy across the pond). High tea is particularly fun because of the veritable tower of treats that usually accompanies a good cream tea or pot of other varieties of hot beverage. We’ve gotten lucky enough to sample gluten free high teas on three continents now – here in the US, around London of course, and one of the best ones yet was at the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa. If you’ve never been and have the good fortune to get a trip down to the tip of Africa anytime in the next year, definitely make this luxurious, grand, old, pink hotel a highlight of at least one day. The staff will even point out the table that was Nelson Mandela’s favorite when he visited. The tea is incredible and the hotel has its own proprietary blends of green and black, along with a very knowledgable “tea sommelier” who will talk you through the notes of so many incredible varieties.

Long story short, the gluten free treats for high tea at the Belmond Mount Nelson were shockingly perfect. So perfect, in fact, that I had to ask the very patient waiter three separate times if he was sure it was all gluten free (it was). There was chocolate cake and macarons and muffins and tiny sandwiches and scones and fudge and just WOW guys – it was great. There weren’t any financiers, but that’s okay because we’ll add it to our own Sisters Sans Gluten high tea menu one day! These delicate french pastries are perfect for gluten free folks because they’re primarily made of egg whites and almond flour – a similar approach to French macarons but much easier in my humble opinion (or, it’s harder to mess these up). I’ve made rose financiers before – infused with rose water and topped with a heavenly rose syrup, but these ones celebrate late summer fruit in the most effortlessly gorgeous way possible.

I do use a financier pan for these – a baking pan with shallow, rectangular divots to hold the pillowy batter. You can also make financiers in muffin tins or other small, shallow baking pans. I love the rectangular shape, though, so if you do too, I recommend investing a small amount in your very own financier pan! I used a mix of summer fruit for these as well, and very quickly realized that the cloud-like lift of the financiers should not be held down by too much fruit. Slicing your fruit very very finely and even cutting paper thin slices of peaches into shorter sections so that they fit on the small tops of the financiers is the best way to go. These look fancy and intimidating but they’re some of the easiest things you’ll make!!

If you’re looking for other uses of your late summer fruit, try our rosemary honey and fig cupcakes, or this peach upside down cake, or these peaches and cream cupcakes (SO good), or this rosemary honey ricotta and fig tart!

Print Recipe

Gluten Free Glazed Fruit Financiers

These are pillowy French treats made from egg whites, almond flour, and topped with thinly sliced glazed fruit

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time13 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: French

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: almond flour, easy, financier, financiers, french, glaze, gluten free, stone fruit

Servings: 20 financiers

Calories: 100kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Financier pan

Ingredients

• 1 Cup fine blanched almond flour
• 2 Tbsp gluten free 1-1 flour mix
• 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 4 large egg whites
• 3/4 Cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 Cup melted, cooled salted butter
• extra unsalted butter for greasing the pan
• Thinly sliced fruit (peach, plum, fig, strawberry, etc – must be very very thinly sliced)
• 2 Tbsp jam of your choice (we use strawberry or apricot)
• 1 tsp water

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Generously butter a financier pan (I use an 8-financier pan) and set aside. Then, make your financiers. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond meal, salt, flour, and arrowroot starch. In a larger bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium until thick and foamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts and continue to beat until thick and marshmallowy, another 2-3 minutes. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites, careful not to knock the air out of the egg whites, and then pour in the melted, cooled butter and fold in as well.
• Carefully scoop the batter into a pastry bag with a small round tip, or with a 1/4 inch opening cut off and pipe in the batter into the molds (this will make sure you have even-topped financiers) – be sure to only almost-fill each mold, up to about 1/8 inch below the rim. Rap the pan on a counter to even the tops of the financiers, then place 2-3 thin slices of fruit onto the top of each financier. Bake for 11-13 minutes until golden brown around the edges but not too dark (we bake ours for 13 minutes).
• While the financiers are baking, make your glaze. Combine the water and jam in a small saucepan and heat over low until the jam is completely melted and stir to combine. Pour the glaze into a small bowl. Once the financiers are done, remove from oven and use a pastry brush or a small spoon to spread a small amount of glaze over the fruit on top of each financier. Let cool before using a butter knife to edge the financiers out of the molds.

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your financiers!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber