PREPARE AND COOL THE BEURRE NOISETTE
Melt the butter in a light-coloured, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, as the butter foams and then subsides. Watch carefully: as the foam dies down, the milk solids will begin to brown on the base. When the butter is a deep amber-gold and smells strongly of hazelnuts or toffee — typically 6–8 minutes — pour it immediately through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl, leaving any dark sediment behind. Set aside to cool to room temperature, or until it just begins to re-solidify at the edges (approximately 50°C / 120°F). Do not proceed to the batter until the butter has cooled sufficiently — hot beurre noisette added to egg whites will cook them.

MACERATE THE PEACH
Peel and dice the peaches into small, even pieces — approximately 1cm cubes. Place in a bowl with the caster sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine and leave to macerate for at least 20 minutes, or up to 2 hours. The sugar will draw moisture from the peach, creating a fragrant, jammy syrup. Drain lightly before using — excess liquid will make the batter wet.

PREPARE THE TIN AND PREHEAT
Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C / 170°C fan. Butter the financier tin generously — including up the sides and into each corner — then dust with a little flour, tapping out any excess. Alternatively, use silicone financier moulds, which require only light buttering.

MAKE THE BATTER
Sift together the icing sugar, ground almonds, and plain flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine. Add the egg whites (unwhipped), orange zest, vanilla extract, and orange blossom water if using. Stir until just combined into a smooth batter. Do not overwork the mixture. Pour in the cooled beurre noisette and fold gently until fully incorporated and the batter is glossy and uniform. The batter should be pourable but thick. If time allows, rest the batter in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to relax the gluten and improve the final texture.

FILL THE TIN
Pour or spoon the batter into the prepared moulds, filling each cavity to about two-thirds full. Distribute the macerated peach pieces evenly across the tops, using 3–4 pieces per financier. Press each piece lightly so it sits into the batter rather than floating on the surface.

BAKE
Bake in the preheated oven for 14–16 minutes, until the edges are set and golden, the tops are a pale gold, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with moist crumbs. Check at 14 minutes — the interior should remain moist. Err on the side of slightly underbaked rather than overbaked.

COOL AND FINISH
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Once completely cool, top each financier with 2–3 fresh raspberries, pressing them gently into the macerated peach layer. Dust lightly with icing sugar if desired. For an elegant finish, add a small piece of edible gold leaf or a touch of gold lustre to each cake.