Before I start in on ice cream & financiers & such, I just wanna say that Jay is home from Switzerland! In case you didn’t know, Mr. Rockstar was over there playing a music festival in Muotathal. He’s safe & sound back in New York now. It’s nice to have him back in the same time zone as me, let alone the same breathing space. It was really weird to imagine he was somewhere 6 hours ahead of me. But anyway, I got my Swiss chocolates, and plenty of them. I shall be gorging myself on these for a few days, or at least a couple more hours. The first one there, the Cailler of Switzerland Lait & Caramel Pointe de sel? I can’t wait to hang my fangs on that one. The Lindt assortment is pretty amazing, though, in and of itself. I haven’t opened the Camille Bloch Torino one yet, but I’m intrigued to try it; it’s a ‘chocolat au lait suisse fin fourre creme de noisettes et d’amandes’ or, as it’s said in English, fine milk chocolate filled with a creme of hazelnuts & almonds. Mmm.
…
So speaking of Europe & European confections, last month, the people at Donsuemor contacted me and asked me if I’d come up with a recipe featuring one of their delicious French cookies for their Dessert a Day project. Being a little bit of a francophile (although also an anglophile, and pretty much someone who’s enthusiastic about everything in general, especially desserts), I immediately jumped at the chance. I chose the French almond cakes, or financiers & I could not wait to get my hands on them. For a non-French company that’s fairly new (started in 1976), the selection of items & the implied quality impressed me. So I really was excited to make something with these little cakes… oh, and eat some too.
And then… they arrived! Pretty quick, actually. Oh, happy day!
…
Sacré bleu! I’d been brainstorming all kinds of recipes for these guys. Ah, little did they know when I first opened that box what their ultimate fate would be. Mes petits financiers, mes pauvres. Groped at by greedy hands was the least of it.
French Almond Cakes, or <financiers>, as they are known in France, are elegant little cakes with the rich and nutty taste of sweet almond. Soft and moist with crisp edges – a “Donsuemor signature” – these elegant treats are made with the finest quality, all natural ingredients.
Led by the drive and determination of our talented French pastry chef and dedicated team, inspired by the Parisian original, Donsuemor proudly launched the French Almond Cakes in September 2009. Although we had the desire to bake other products over the years, we committed to do so only if they could live up to the standards of the madeleine. The French Almond Cakes exceed our standard, and thus became the first new product Donsuemor developed since the first madeleine was baked in Berkeley in 1976.
History of Financiers
Financiers were created by a baker named Lasne in the financial district of Paris in the 1890’s. Named after the rich financiers who frequented his bakery, traditionally baked in the shape of gold bars, Lasne designed the little unglazed cake to be enjoyed without utensils or risk to suit, shirt or tie.
Financiers are as rich as the bankers they were named for. They are made with ground almonds, butter, sugar, flour, and eggs – pure and simple ingredients. Once you taste Donsuemor’s French Almond Cakes, you will know why Donsuemor is the one you remember.
– text & French Almond cakes photo from Donsuemor.com
…
I had to resist eating them all before making the recipe, but I managed. I also managed to keep them out of everyone else’s hands. Partly because I hid the box. Yes I did, & I have no problem admitting that. Although people I know will read that & get a bit miffed, I’m sure, considering I think I told them there weren’t any more. Oops.
The quality & taste was definitely what I had expected. Anyone who knows me or reads the blog knows I’m honest to a fault, so trust me here. My father liked them so much, he asked for the website name (perhaps ordering me a gift… hmmm?). They were very moist, very cake-like, and had a great almond flavor. Because it was so warm & humid, I decided to go with an ice cream instead of a baked dessert; an almond ice cream to be exact. I crumbled up some of the cakes and mixed it in with the ice cream, and then topped each serving with a cookie. Mmmm.
Delicious little surprises in the form of chunks of almond cake throughout, plus those sliced almonds.
Do you love my ice cream sundae glasses? Not to mention ma petite tour Eiffel!
…
I’m not kidding when I say this is some amazing ice cream. Fantastique. You know birthday cake ice cream? It has bits of cake floating through it, and sometimes ribbons of buttercream or sprinkles? Well, that’s awesome, but too much for me. I find it too sweet after a few bites. This was not. I ate way more of this ice cream than you’d think was humanly possible. Seriously. I even ate it for dinner one night. I broke out my grandmother’s vintage jadeite dessert plates, too. This ice cream (& me) certainly deserved it.
…
Okay, enough teasing. You want the recipe, don’t you?
ALMOND ICE CREAM WITH CRUMBLED DONSUEMOR FRENCH ALMOND FINANCIERS
Ingredients:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4-6 Donsuemor French almond cakes, crumbled, plus more kept intact for topping (if desired)
Directions:
- Whisk together cream, milk, sugar, and eggs in a heavy medium saucepan until they’re completely combined.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture is thick enough to coat back of a spoon. Strain custard through a sieve into a medium bowl. Add vanilla & almond extracts and stir to mix thoroughly. Cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator (covered), 6-8 hours.
- Freeze in ice cream maker according to maker’s directions, adding the crumbled cakes 2-3 minutes before it’s finished. Ice cream will be the consistency of soft serve, freeze overnight for firmer set.
I have the KitchenAid ice cream maker stand mixer attachment, so it took about 20 minutes in there. However I made mine on a night when we had torrential rain, incredibly high humidity and it was pretty hot on top of that. Thanks to those conditions, my first attempt at photos were an epic fail; sure they looked cute, mainly thanks to my vintage plate & Eiffel tower set up… but the ice cream was a melty mess. On top of the initial ice cream’s soft consistency, it just melted all over the place in the high humidity. So I popped it in the freezer and the next day, voilà, perfection. With a mug of hazelnut coffee made in my Keurig… *sigh* However it’s positively French-Victorian picnic style when served with a cut crystal goblet filled with some cold sparkling Effervé lemonade.
Effervé had nothing to do with this post, it’s just delicious lemonade.
…
A great way to salute the swan song of summer & say a delicious goodbye to that wonderful season. If not grudgingly. Also a good reason to hide in your house & hope Hurricane Irene steers clear of your home. Not that I speak from experience or anything…
I'm Marilla. A 30-something artist, hobby baker, home canning enthusiast, gardener, DIY-er, wife, mommy of a baby boy and dog mom (to another baby boy) from New York. 
I wish I was there to share this ice cream with you!! And that we could be together to eat whatever I end up making! LOL
Looks amazing, and what a wonderful story.
xoxo
Aww thanks Tania! I can’t wait to see yours! If the FedEx guy ever decides to bring ’em…
The coolest people I know live so far away 🙁 it sucks!
I love love love everything you did with this recipe and all your french references. Absolutely amazing. I too adore french culture, (I’m 3/4 french) my dad spoke it fluently when he was young but lost it once he went to school. I could have been so much more cultured! Ha, anyways great job and Tania never fear we’re going to get those treats to you if it kills me!
Thank you Nicole! I’m glad you like it!
French is one of the very few things that isn’t in my heritage, however I am a little Belgian… so I can parlay that into being somewhat French 😉
Magnificent goods from you, man. I have have in mind your stuff prior to and you’re simply too
great. I really like what you’ve acquired right here, really like what you’re saying and the
way in which in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you
continue to take care of to stay it wise. I cant wait to read far more from you.
This is actually a terrific website.
Today, I went to the beach with my children. I found a sea
shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her
ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside
and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is totally off topic but I had to tell
someone!
Hey there! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering if
you knew where I could find a captcha plugin for my comment form?
I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having difficulty finding one?
Thanks a lot!
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all people you actually recognize what you are
talking about! Bookmarked. Please additionally visit my site =).
We will have a hyperlink exchange agreement between us
You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!
Hello! I simply would like to offer you a huge thumbs up for
the excellent information you have got here on this
post. I am returning to your site for more soon.
constantly i used to read smaller articles or reviews which also clear their motive, and
that is also happening with this piece of writing which I am reading
now.
Hello there! This is my first visit to your blog!
We are a group of volunteers and starting
a new project in a community in the same niche.
Your blog provided us useful information to work on.
You have done a marvellous job!
Fastidious answers in return of this difficulty with solid arguments and describing all on the topic of that.
I have been exploring for a bit for any high-quality
articles or blog posts in this sort of space .
Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this web site.
Reading this information So i am happy to convey that I have an incredibly excellent uncanny feeling I found out exactly what I needed.
I so much definitely will make sure to don’t
omit this web site and provides it a glance regularly.
I like this weblog very much, Its a really nice berth to read
and obtain info.
I do accept as true with all the ideas you’ve presented to your post.
They’re very convincing and can definitely work. Still,
the posts are very short for newbies. Could you please extend them a bit from next time?
Thanks for the post.
I really love your blog.. Very nice colors &
theme. Did you create this amazing site yourself?
Please reply back as I’m hoping to create my own website and would like to know where you got this from or exactly
what the theme is named. Kudos!
Super-Duper website! I am loving it!! Will be back
later to read some more. I am bookmarking
your feeds also
I have been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or blog posts in this
sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this
site. Reading this info So i am glad to exhibit that I have an incredibly good uncanny feeling I
found out exactly what I needed. I so much definitely will make sure to do not omit
this website and give it a look regularly.
Wow, fantastic blog format! How long have you ever been blogging
for? you made blogging look easy. The total look of your
site is great, let alone the content material!
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This
is a really well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and come back
to read more of your useful information. Thanks for
the post. I’ll certainly return.
Hello to all, how is all, I think every
one is getting more from this site, and your views are
pleasant in favor of new visitors.
I always spent my half an hour to read this blog’s posts everyday along with a
cup of coffee.
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources
back to your site? My blog is in the exact same area
of interest as yours and my visitors would really benefit from some of the information you provide here.
Please let me know if this okay with you.
Appreciate it!
I am genuinely thankful to the holder of this web page who has shared this
enormous piece of writing at here.
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your weblog?
My blog is in the very same area of interest as yours and
my visitors would really benefit from some of the information you provide here.
Please let me know if this ok with you. Cheers!
Today, I went to the beachfront with my kids. I found a sea shell and
gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed.
There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic
but I had to tell someone!
Excellent web site you have got here.. It’s difficult to find high quality
writing like yours these days. I seriously appreciate people like you!
Take care!!
My relatives all the time say that I am wasting my time here at web,
but I know I am getting knowledge daily by reading such pleasant articles
or reviews.
I was wondering if you ever considered changing the page
layout of your blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1
or two images. Maybe you could space it out better?
I like this web blog very much, Its a very nice office to read and obtain information.
Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog
and in accession capital to assert that I get in fact enjoyed account your blog posts.
Anyway I’ll be subscribing to your feeds and even I achievement you access
consistently quickly.
Hi there to all, how is the whole thing, I think
every one is getting more from this site, and your views are good for new
visitors.
I do agree with all the ideas you have introduced to your post.
They’re very convincing and will certainly work.
Still, the posts are very brief for newbies. May you please prolong them a little from next
time? Thanks for the post.