Pear Financier Tea Cake

These delicious, moist tea cakes were named long ago by a pâtisserie near the Bourse, the Parisian stock exchange, who cleverly baked them in the shape of gold ingots to please their wealthy clientele. The basis of the cake butter, egg whites, powdered sugar and almond meal. While delicious on its own, the Financier can also be flavoured with seasonal fruits such as raspberries, peaches or pears. Financiers are often baked in the rectangular mould.

• 2 Pears, peeled and cut into 1cm dices
  
• 100 g Butter, melted
  
• 80 g Almond meal©angiesrecipes
  
• 40 g All-purpose flour
  
• 80 g Icing sugar
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• 1/2 tsp Almond extract
  
• 3 Egg whites, lightly beaten
  
• 1 tbsp Pistachio, chopped
  

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Thoroughly butter the financier moulds and place them in the freezer to resolidify the butter and make the financiers easier to unmould.
   
2. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, flour, icing sugar and salt. Mix to blend. Fold in the lightly beaten egg whites, almond extract and melted butter.
   
3. Fill each mold almost to the rim and place some diced pears on top. Bake for 12 minutes or until the financiers have become light brown on top and are springy to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle the top with some chopped pistachio.