Black cherry financiers

Prepare a 12 hole financier tin or deep muffin tin by lightly greasing each mould. Cut oblong strips of parchment approximately 2cm x 15cm and place each strip into each mould so that it sits on the bottom and has approximately 2 cm sticking out over the top of the mould. This is to help you get them out once they have baked. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and make a beurre noisette (brown butter). Take off the heat and leave to cool. You can just melt the butter if you prefer.

Sift the flour and ground almonds and set aside.

Put the egg whites and sugar into a bowl and mix gently until fully combined. You don’t want to aerate them.

Fold in the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and then add the cooled brown butter or melted butter and the cherries (keep aside 12 halves for decorating). Mix until fully combined. Put into an airtight container and chill in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 170C. Take the mixture out of the fridge and put into a piping bag. Pipe the mixture into each mould until ¾ full.

Decorate each financier with a half cherry off set from the centre, with cut side down.

Bake for 17-20 mins or until lightly golden.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins before lifting them out, using the parchment strips, onto a cooling rack. Leave to fully cool before fully removing the parchment strips.

Dust with icing sugar to finish.