Pistachio Financiers with Sour Cherry Sorbet

⏱ 90 min · Serves 6

Nutty, chewy-edged little brown-butter cakes packed with green pistachio, served warm against a tart, ruby-bright cherry sorbet. The temperature contrast is the whole point — and it tastes like a very good restaurant dessert.

Per serving: 540 kcal · 8.0g protein · 72.0g carbs · 24.0g fat

Ingredients

• For the cherry sorbet:
• 600g frozen pitted cherries (or fresh, stoned)
• 120g caster sugar
• 120ml water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp kirsch or vodka (optional, keeps it scoopable)
• For the pistachio financiers:
• 90g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 70g shelled unsalted pistachios
• 60g icing sugar, plus 30g for the batter
• 40g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 3 large egg whites (about 100g), room temperature
• 50g caster sugar
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios, to finish
• To serve:
• Lightly whipped creme fraiche (optional)

Method

1. Make the sorbet first: heat the sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves, then simmer 2 minutes. Cool slightly.
2. Blend the cherries with the syrup and lemon juice until completely smooth, then push through a sieve for a silky texture. Stir in the kirsch.
3. Chill thoroughly, then churn in an ice cream machine until thick, and freeze 2 hours. No machine? Freeze in a shallow tray, forking vigorously every 30 minutes for 3 hours.
4. For the financiers, melt the butter in a small pan and keep cooking over medium heat until it foams, smells nutty and the solids turn hazelnut brown, 4-5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and cool to warm.
5. Blitz the 70g pistachios with the 60g icing sugar to a fine meal. Combine with the flour, remaining 30g icing sugar and the salt.
6. Heat the oven to 190C fan. Butter 6 holes of a muffin tin or 6 financier moulds well.
7. Whisk the egg whites with the caster sugar to soft, frothy peaks — foamy, not stiff. Fold in the dry mixture in two additions, then fold in the warm brown butter and almond extract until glossy.
8. Divide between the moulds, scatter with chopped pistachios and bake 15-17 minutes until domed, golden at the edges and springy in the middle.
9. Cool 5 minutes, then turn out. Serve warm with a scoop of cherry sorbet and a spoon of creme fraiche.