Brown Butter Financiers with Fresh Corn

We’re in the midst of sweet corn season here in Minnesota, when local farmer’s markets overflow with ears picked just hours before. It’s one of the great pleasures of late summer and I include fresh corn in as many recipes as I can. Whether it’s a Corn, Green Bean, and Cherry Tomato Salad with a Dijon Vinaigrette, or a Sweet Corn Ice Cream, I love the corn’s sweentess that it adds to a dish. In this case, I added fresh corn to create a twist on the classic Brown Butter Financier. Somehow it reminds me of southern cornbread. Would I eat these with chili, yes but maybe leave off the sliced almond garnish? The point is, they are delicious with or without chili! And, absolutely enjoy them with coffee, tea, or even a dessesrt wine.

Though I am not a Frenchman, I often cook like one and like to think it gives me just enough license to borrow from the classics and occasionally nudge them in a new direction. These financiers are a perfect example. They have everything I love about the traditional petite almond cakes, but this time of year it seems almost wrong not to fold in a handful of chopped fresh corn kernels. The corn adds tiny bursts of sweetness and gives them a Midwest flair. If you can’t get your hands on fresh off the cob just leave it out and proceed with the recipe.

Yield: 24 standard financiers (or mini muffins)

10 tablespoons (5 oz/ 146 g) unsalted butter, plus enough to butter molds or mini muffin tin
¾ cup (3 oz / 86 g) Almond flour
3 ½ tablespoons (1 oz / 30 g) finely ground yellow cornmeal
1 1/3 cups (5.5 oz / 154 g) powdered sugar
5 tablespoons (1.5 oz / 43 g) all-purpose flour
A pinch of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
1/3 cup (1.5 oz / 43 g) Fresh sweet corn kernels (sliced fresh off the cob and patted dry, and finely chopped), optional
4 large (4 oz / 120 g) egg whites
Sliced almonds for garnish

In a small saucepan melt 5 ounces of butter over medium heat, stirring frequently. The butter will foam, then crackle, and finally form tiny brown specks at the bottom. Once it smells intensely nutty and turns a golden amber color, remove it from the heat immediately. Pour it into a small bowl (including the brown specks) and let it cool until warm, but still liquid.

Set a sieve over a medium bowl, and sift together the almond flour, cornmeal, powdered sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt. If using, stir in the chopped corn kernels.

Add the almond extract to the egg whites, then stir into the dry mixture using a wooden spoon just until combined. Do not whip or create friction; you want to keep the batter dense and cake-like.

In three additions, pour the warm brown butter into the batter, stirring gently until smooth and glossy. Cover the batter and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour (or overnight). This hydrates the flour and chills the butter for a better rise and a fudgier interior.

Preheat convection oven to 400°F. Using a Divide the batter evenly among the molds. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the edges are deeply golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.