Peach Orange and Raspberry Financiers
Prep. Time:
20 minutes
Baking Time:
14–16 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour 15 minutes
Serves:
12 financiers
Dan Hunter baked these orange and vanilla financiers for the Semi-Final Patisserie Week Signature Challenge in Great British Bake Off ™ Season 14. His second batch - topped with macerated peach and fresh raspberries - drew one of the episode's most effusive responses. Paul Hollywood called it 'the perfect financier', praising its moisture, beautifully baked crumb, and citrus brightness. Prue Leith declared it 'a triumph.' Dan earned the episode's only Hollywood Handshake. The bake centres on beurre noisette - butter cooked to a deep amber-gold - which gives the almond sponge its characteristic depth, moisture, and haunting hazelnut aroma. Orange zest runs through the batter; macerated peach sinks into the crumb during baking, turning jammy and fragrant; fresh raspberries provide the bright acid counterpoint.
BAKER'S NOTES
• Beurre noisette is non-negotiable. It is the structural and flavour spine of the financier. The transformation from raw butter to beurre noisette takes patience and attention - the window between correctly browned and burnt is short. Use a
light-coloured pan so you can see the colour change clearly. The butter is ready when it smells unmistakeably of hazelnuts and toasted milk, and the solids on the base are a warm amber, not dark brown.
• 'A celebration of citrus.' Paul Hollywood's description of Dan's financier is the flavour target. Orange zest in the batter, orange juice in the macerating liquid, optional orange blossom water - each layer of citrus should amplify without
overwhelming. The raspberries provide the bright acid counterpoint; the peach the soft sweetness. The whole reads as citrus-forward, fruit-forward, light.
• Egg whites, not whole eggs. Financiers use only egg whites, which produce a drier, denser crumb than a whole-egg sponge - paradoxically, this denseness is what allows the beurre noisette and almond to dominate the flavour. The whites
should be at room temperature and unwhipped; whipping them would introduce air that disrupts the characteristic texture.
• Resting the batter. The relaxedrecipes.com tip for financiers notes texture improvement with rested batter. The reason is gluten relaxation: flour mixed with liquid develops gluten, which resting allows to relax, producing a more tender crumb. For a competition, this must be built into the timeline; at home, even 30 minutes in the fridge makes a noticeable difference.
• Mould selection matters. Classic financier moulds are small rectangles (approximately 7 Å~ 3 cm). Barquette moulds produce a similar result. Mini-muffin tins or small tartlet moulds can substitute in a home kitchen, though the classic
rectangular form - evoking the gold bar of its namesake - is part of the financier's identity. Dan used standard financier moulds.
• On Paul's dislike of Dan's first batch (matcha). The flavour pairing of pistachio and matcha is a confident, contemporary choice - but matcha's bitterness is divisive, and Paul Hollywood's palate leans classical. Dan's second batch read the room perfectly: orange, vanilla, peach and raspberry are flavours with near-universal appeal, delivered with impeccable technical execution.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Financiers are dry / crumbly Almost certainly overbaked. Pull at 14 minutes next time and check with a skewer. Also verify the beurre noisette was fully incorporated - undermixing at that stage leaves fat pockets that produce uneven texture.
Financiers sticking to the tin The tin was insufficiently buttered and floured, or the financiers were turned out too soon. Allow 5 minutes of rest in the tin. With a conventional (non-silicone) tin, thorough preparation is essential.
Beurre noisette has burnt The milk solids turn dark very quickly once the right colour is reached. Start again with fresh butter. Prevention: keep the heat at medium (not high), watch constantly from the point the foam subsides, and have a sieve and bowl ready before you begin.
Batter is lumpy Sift the dry ingredients thoroughly before adding the wet. Lumps in icing sugar and almond flour are common and will persist through stirring if not sieved out first.
Fruit sinking to the bottom The peach pieces were too large or too wet, or the batter was too fluid. Drain the macerated peach well before using; keep pieces to 1 cm maximum. Lightly dusting the fruit in flour before placing can also help.
STORAGE, MAKE-AHEAD & VARIATIONS
Storage: Financiers are best eaten on the day of baking, when the exterior is still slightly crisp and the interior retains its full moisture. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days - the texture will soften but the flavour remains
good. Do not refrigerate (cold dulls the almond and citrus notes). The batter keeps refrigerated for up to 24 hours; bake fresh for best results.
Seasonal and flavour variations:
• Summer: Substitute the macerated peach with macerated apricot or nectarine; replace raspberries with blueberries or sliced strawberries. The orange-vanilla batter suits all stone fruits.
• Autumn: Replace peach with very thinly sliced pear (no macerating needed) and use ground cardamom in place of orange blossom water. Scatter a few toasted flaked almonds over the top alongside the fruit.
• Winter / Christmas: Replace the orange zest with clementine zest and add a pinch of ground cinnamon to the batter. Top with macerated cranberry and a fresh raspberry. Dust heavily with icing sugar.
• Classic unfilled: The base orange and vanilla batter baked plain - no fruit on top - produces a beautifully clean financier. Dip one corner in melted dark chocolate once cooled for an elegant presentation.
• Lemon-raspberry (remove peach): Replace orange zest with lemon zest and add ó tsp lemon extract to the batter. Press fresh raspberries directly into the batter and finish with lemon curd piped into a small indent on top.
Ingredients
Instructions
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.