FINANCIER-STYLE VANILLA BEAN POUND CAKES: A gift from my kitchen!

December is the month of giving, and there is nothing better than a gift that you make by yourself ^ ^. Because the gift from the kitchen always make the people smile, so this one will be great for giving too.

This recipe is very easy to make and it's a great way to use the egg white (if you have a lot of it in the fridge like me, haha, because I often make the ice cream so I love to find the recipe that use only egg white).
This little cake is the composition of delicious ingredients, vanilla bean and butter (well, a lot of it ^ ^), the fragrance of the cake can fill your kitchen when baking. The texture of the cake is soft and moist but it's quite different from the traditional financier because the cake doesn't contain the almond powder.
If you don't have the same mold, don't let it be the problem, you can use other kind of mold like mini muffin or other miniature mold too. If using metal mold be sure to butter and flour the molds well, because the finish cake can be very sticky.
I use the recipe from: ......................(this book is very good, I think I will show you the inside of the book real soon, ^ ^).

I really fall in love with this book, and highly recommend that if you love to bake cake this is the one that you should have ^ ^. I have to admit that I love it more than her other book : ............. because it's more beautiful and modern (actually both of them are good, the old one has more detail on the ingredients and the science more than the new one, so it's good for basic knowledge). And most of the recipe comes with a beautiful picture too.

I believe that anyone who receive this gift should be happy, imagine when you open the box that full of delicious, and fragrance cakes, even you will have a smile on your face too.

FINANCIER-STYLE VANILLA BEAN POUND CAKES
MAKES: 10

BAKING TIME: 18to 20 minutes
½ vanilla bean
75g superfine sugar
3 (90g) large egg whites, at room temperature
1½ tablespoons milk
¾ tsp pure vanilla extract
75g cake flour
3/8tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
85 g unsalted butter

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT Financier mold(s), preferably silicone, 8x3x3 cm, set it on a wire rack and then on a baking sheet. Pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch round pastry tube (optional)
PREHEAT THE OVEN Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.


MIX THE VANILLA BEAN WITH THE SUGAR With a small sharp knife split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half.
In a medium bowl, scrape the vanilla seeds from the vanilla bean into the sugar and rub them in with your fingers. Remove the vanilla pod and reserve for future use. In a food processor, process the vanilla seeds and sugar until the seeds are evenly distributed throughout the sugar.


MIX THE LIQUID INGREDIENTS In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites, milk, and vanilla extract just until lightly combined.


MAKE THE BATTER In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the vanilla sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and half the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the remaining egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Don’t be concerned if the batter seems to curdle. It is very high in butter and will bake out to a fine, even crumb.


FILL THE MOLDS Scrape the batter into a pastry bag, if using, or freezer-weight resalable plastic bag with one corner cut. (Alternatively, you can spoon the batter into the molds, but piping is quicker.) Pipe the batter into the cavities, filling them about three-quarters full (1 ounce/32 grams in each).
BAKE THE FINANCIERS Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the financiers spring back when pressed lightly in the centers. The financiers should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.
COOL AND UNMOLD THE CAKES: Let the financiers cool completely in the silicone molds on a wire rack before unmolding. To unmold, push out each financier with your finger pressed against the bottom of the mold. If using a metal mold, set it on a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes before unmolding. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the molds and the financiers, pressing firmly against the molds. Invert them onto a wire rack and reinvert them onto another rack. Cool completely. The financiers keep, wrapped airtight in plastic wrap in an airtight container, for 3 days at room temperature or for 5 days refrigerated.

FINANCIER-STYLE VANILLA BEAN POUND CAKES: A gift from my kitchen!