Saturday 26 June 2010

green tea financiers

The boy has a crazy obsession with friands which I don't quite get but then again, I'm just as obsessed with baking with green tea that it only makes sense to combine the two and make a green tea friand! (or if you're French, you'd call it a financier...either way, same thing.) Ah...lovely lovely green tea!

This recipe was a little different from any other friand recipe I'd come across. It had the addition of cornflour, which in the end gave the friand a much firmer texture compared to the crumbliness of a regular friand. 

Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Lightly grease 10 holes of a friand pan. Brown 130g unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking frequently until golden brown in colour. Let to cool.

This recipe is out of 'Okashi' and has had a major rewrite. I started with Step 1, went to Step 4 and back to Step 2. Anyone else with this book, do you find that the steps happen out of order for all the recipes?

In a large bowl, beat together 130g egg whites, add 130 sifted castor sugar. Add 50g ground almonds. Then sift in 50g flour, 5g cornflour, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 10g green tea powder.

Add browned butter to flour and almond mixture and mix well.

Fill your friand pan.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden in colour.

Remove from pan to cool on a wire rack.

I think I slightly overdosed on green tea powder with this one. As I was at the end of the pack, I'd measured out the 10g and threw in what was left, probably not so good (made these a little bitter) so I suggest you stick with the 10g that the original recipe recommends if you're planning to try this one out. And do just fill the pan to half way and not any more. I've already slightly filled mine over half way and I get the exploding tops which aren't the prettiest things to look at. 

Still not so sure about the cornflour though. The next day, these were quite hard unlike the friands I make without. Anyway, I'm slightly dazzled by a collection of green tea recipes I found in one of mum's books; anyone for green tea tiramisu? green tea and white chocolate scones? green tea pannacotta or maybe even a green tea chiffon cake? Well I bought myself a new tub of green tea so will be on the case!

7 comments:

OohLookBel said...

Your financiers look like the ones in cafes (though a bit greener!). I think you should try green tea tiramisu next (pretty please?).

Rita (mademoiselle délicieuse) said...

I love friands too! Well, and anything that involves almond meal which give that lovely dense crumb. Shame about them being dry the next day which you'd assume is due to the cornflour, yes. (PS. Checked out some matcha powder at a Korean store yesterday and, sadly, still as expensive *sigh*)

Maria said...

Hey I love everything green tea, especially cakes and ice cream! These look great!

Maria said...

Hey I love everything with green tea, especially ice cream and cakes! These look great!

panda said...

bel - thanks! they do look a little green...hehe. and yep, green tea tiramisu will be the next green tea item i make (actually that would've been my choice too!)

mademoiselle delicieuse - now that i've tried the cornflour, I'll know next time not to add it in. I don't think it really does anything for the friand - part of a good friand is its lovely dense crumb like you say! let me know if you come across any cheap green tea - i will definitely stock in bulk :)

maria - i go weak at the knees for anything green tea!

Forager said...

Very green friands - but they sounds yummy! Ooh - make green tea tiramisu next! Does it still include coffee in the recipe though? Might taste weird with green tea and coffee.

panda said...

forager - i checked the recipe i have, it doesn't have any coffee in it. anyway, will keep you posted with how that goes :)