“Peanuts happen to be my favorite nut,” says the baker Rose Levy Beranbaum, winner of multiple James Beard Awards and author of the new cookbook The Cookie Bible. “I was once given a tour of the peanut growing areas in Georgia, so the peanut butter financiers will be my special gift to Southerners.”
Financiers are soft French sweets—like a cross between a cookie and a cake—usually made with almonds and brown butter. “Christophe Toury comes from Chartres, France, and he started his career as a pastry chef and chocolatier at the Ritz in Paris,” Beranbaum explains about the origin of the recipe in her cookbook. “Although Europeans seem to prefer praline paste (which is fine to substitute for the peanut butter here), Chris created this peanut butter financier for his appreciative American clientele.”
Tip: Read through carefully all the way through before beginning. Beranbaum is a pro, and these instructions are quite detailed.