Brown Butter Cornflake Peach Financiers

Ingredients

Almond cakes

• 1 tsp unsalted butter, for the tin
• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, for browning
• ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
• ¾ cup (75 g) finely ground almond flour
• ¼ cup (32 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 4 large egg whites, about 120 g
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large firm ripe peach, pitted and cut into 24 thin wedges

Cornflake finish

• ½ cup cornflakes, lightly crushed
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp honey, for serving

Equipment

Standard 12-cup muffin tin, saucepan, mixing bowls

Allergens and ingredient notes: Almond, wheat, egg, milk; cornflakes often contain barley malt. Contains honey.

Step by step

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease all twelve muffin wells with the measured 1 tsp butter. Brown the separate ½ cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling for 3–5 minutes until the milk solids turn golden and smell nutty. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl and cool 10 minutes.
2. Whisk powdered sugar, almond flour, all-purpose flour, and salt together. In another bowl whisk egg whites by hand just until frothy, not stiff. Stir egg whites and vanilla into the dry ingredients, then stir in all the cooled brown butter, including its golden solids.
3. Divide batter evenly among the twelve greased wells; they will be shallow, not full-size muffins. Nestle two peach wedges into each portion.
4. Mix crushed cornflakes with their separate melted butter and brown sugar. Divide this mixture over the twelve cakes. Bake 18–23 minutes until edges are golden, the centers spring back lightly, and a toothpick in the cake portion comes out clean.
5. Cool in the tin 10 minutes, loosen edges carefully, then transfer to a rack for another 5 minutes. Divide the honey in a thin drizzle over the cakes just before serving.

The Devotti twist: Cornflakes create a crisp top against the soft almond interior; peach bakes directly into each little cake.

Make ahead and storage

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days because of the fresh fruit. Bring to room temperature or warm gently before serving. The cornflake topping softens in storage.

Image: AI-generated recipe illustration; homemade results and presentation will vary.