Matcha and Cherry Financiers

The holly and the ivy,
Now both are full well grown.
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.

                                                   

                                                                               The Holly and The Ivy, Traditional

It is  nearly Christmas, and we are in full swing with the season of red and green festivities.  In keeping with the red and green theme of the season, I decided to make the Matcha and Cherry Financiers that I had a hankering for.  I had opened my bottle of Morello cherries to raid the juice for Karen's birthday cake, and needed to use the cherries themselves, so what could be better than using them in these delicious little cakes.

I used this recipe for Matcha and Raspberry Friands from Jo the Tart Queen, as I was unable to find a recipe for Matcha and Cherry Friands, and baked them in a financier tin rather than a friand tin.  The end result was 8 cute, perfectly formed cakes: 

These cakes have the lovely red and green colour combination which is reminiscent of the Christmas season, so are perfect for right now.  They are also a breeze to make - no mix master required.

To make these cakes, you will need:

95g butter, cut into cubes
135g egg whites
150g white sugar
100g almond meal
60g plain flour
12g matcha powder
16 fresh, frozen, tinned or jarred cherries

Spray an eight hole financier tin (or use a friand tin or muffin tin) with olive oil spray. Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Put the butter into a small saucepan over low heat and cook until golden brown (ie browned butter).  Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the butter to cool while you continue with the remaining ingredients.

Whisk the sugar, flour, almond meal and matcha powder in a large mixing bowl.    Whisk in the cooled brown butter.  Slowly add the egg whites and whisk until combined.

Divide the mixture evenly between the holes of the financier tin, and decorate each financier by pressing two cherries lightly into the top.  Bake the financiers in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through.  

Remove the financiers from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before running a knife carefully around the edge of each one and unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool completely.