Blaze : – « Monseignor, il est l’or, l’or de se réveiller. »
Don Salluste : – « Il en manque une ! »
B. : – « Vous êtes sor ? »
D.S. : – « Tout à fait sor ! »
Blaze: – “Sir, it is time, time to wake up.
Don Salluste: – One is missing!
B.: – Are you sure?
D.S.: – Totally sure!”
(Dialogue between Blaze (Yves Montand) and Don Salluste de Bazan (Louis de Funès) as Blaze tries to wake Don Salluste by jingling gold coins.)
Some language puns are impossible to render in translation. If you haven’t seen the classic French comedy La folie des grandeurs, starring Louis de Funès and Yves Montand, the joke may make little sense. Don Salluste is obsessed with gold, so when Blaze rattles coins to wake him, the word for gold, or, replaces syllables in the lines: “Il est l’or” instead of “Il est l’heure,” “Monsignor” instead of “Monseigneur,” “sor” instead of “sûr.” The sound play is quintessentially French and priceless if you know the film. It’s a cult favorite I rewatched growing up.
Here, though, the pun becomes literal: “Il est l’or du thé”—it is time for tea and, perhaps, a little taste of gold. Tea time can feel like a small treasure, especially when accompanied by a delicate cake.
Financiers: Mes lingots d’or – Bars of Gold
I always keep a reliable go-to cake, especially when inspiration runs thin. Right now, the heat wave has stolen my focus—my neurons feel like they’re on vacation. Still, I discovered a baby cake that I adore: the financier.
Financiers appeal by shape, flavor, and size. These little almond-scented cakes often resemble small gold bars, which explains the name—financier. As one friend pointed out, their rectangular form looks like a lingot d’or. The origin of the word is straightforward when you notice that resemblance.
Traditional financiers are made from egg whites, nutty browned butter (beurre noisette), and almond powder (poudre d’amandes). The classic shape is rectangular, though oval versions exist. They are small, individual cakes that pack a moist, nutty flavor—perfect with tea.
At home we drink a lot of tea. In P.’s family, tea time is almost always paired with a cake, cookie, or biscuit. That ritual makes the little financiers an especially welcome companion for a cup.
I made two batches to test texture and flavor: one infused with Matcha green tea and the other studded with red fruit (I used strawberries). The results were consistently moist and nutty. Both versions are satisfying—comforting little treats that feel like a small luxury.
La joie du ventre, c’est toute la richesse du monde ! The joy of a full belly is one of life’s simplest riches.
(I used strawberries)
You need:
- 4 egg whites (room temperature)
- 1 cup almond powder (about 3.6 oz), not packed
- 3 tablespoons hazelnut powder
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 9 tablespoons butter
- 1 + 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons (about 6.5 oz) confectioner’s sugar
- 8 fresh strawberries (or 16 raspberries)
Steps:
- Sift the flour and sugar together through a sieve.
- Add the almond and hazelnut powders to the dry mix.
- Melt the butter in a small pot and let it simmer for about 2 minutes after it reaches the boil to develop a nutty aroma (beurre noisette), then cool to room temperature.
- Strain the butter to remove solids and add it to the dry mixture, mixing well.
- Beat the egg whites until foamy but not stiff, then fold them into the batter to form a slightly sticky mixture.
- Let the batter rest for a few hours for better texture, then divide it into eight greased and floured individual financier molds.
- Wash and halve the strawberries, placing two halves into each mold and pressing them lightly into the batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake for about 15–20 minutes, until cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before unmolding.
*Note: Traditional financier molds measure roughly 4.5″ x 2.5″ x 1.25″ (11 x 7 x 3 cm). Metallic molds work well.
You need:
- 4 egg whites (room temperature)
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons almond powder
- 9 oz butter
- 1 + 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons (about 6.5 oz) confectioner’s sugar
- 2 teaspoons Matcha green tea powder
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Steps:
- Follow the same method as for the red fruit financiers with these variations.
- Add the Matcha powder to the dry mix (flour, sugar, almond powder) and proceed as above.
- Omit the fruit step and bake as directed.
(J’ai utilisé des fraises)
Ingrédients :
- 4 blancs d’oeuf (à température ambiante)
- 100 g poudre d’amandes
- 20 g poudre de noisette
- 80 g farine
- 125 g beurre
- 180 g sucre glace
- 8 fraises (ou 16 framboises)
Étapes :
- Tamisez la farine et le sucre glace, puis mélangez-les.
- Ajoutez la poudre d’amandes et la poudre de noisette.
- Faites fondre le beurre et laissez-le bouillir environ 2 minutes pour obtenir un beurre noisette. Laissez refroidir.
- Filtrez le beurre et incorporez-le au mélange sec.
- Battez les blancs pour qu’ils soient mousseux mais pas fermes, puis incorporez-les.
- Laissez reposer la pâte quelques heures, puis remplissez 8 moules à financiers graissés et farinés.
- Coupez les fraises en deux et enfoncez deux moitiés dans chaque petit gâteau.
- Préchauffez le four à 180°C et faites cuire 15–20 minutes. Laissez reposer quelques minutes avant de démouler.
*Remarque : Les moules à financiers mesurent environ 11 x 7 x 3 cm ; les miens sont métalliques.
Ingrédients :
- 4 blancs d’oeuf (à température ambiante)
- 120 g poudre d’amande
- 125 g beurre
- 180 g sucre glace
- 2 càc de thé vert Matcha
- 80 g farine
Étapes :
- Suivez la même méthode que pour les financiers aux fruits rouges.
- Ajoutez le Matcha à la préparation sèche (farine, sucre, poudre d’amandes) avant d’incorporer le beurre noisette.
- Omettez l’étape des fruits et cuisez comme indiqué.
