Summer Berry Mania
“Wouldn’t it be funny if she never left Watsonville, thirty miles away? She could even slip in over the line and see her friends if she wanted to. Maybe she came to Salinas sometimes. She might be in Salinas right now.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Inspiration
It was mid June. It was time for the local olallieberry harvest at Gidzich Ranch in Watsonville. If I held my breath it would be over. I grew up with the olallieberry harvest at Gidzich Ranch every summer. During those years I found my mother’s fixation with the olallie to be a bit obsessive. Often we would go pick berries each week of June and the beginning of July. We would leave early in the morning when it was still cool so my mother would have time to process the lush berries on the same day they were harvested. I am beginning to follow my mother’s path. I have been to Gidzich twice for olallies. I made pie, jam and froze olallieberries just as my mother did. But this year I tried a new berry recipe with my olallies. And I am very glad I did!
A financier is tiny French dessert cake that is similar to a muffin, or cupcake, but lighter in texture. Historically these little cakes were baked in oblong shapes to resemble bars of gold. I chose to bake them in a mini muffin tin, leaving just enough room for one precious berry to grace the top of the moist little cake. I found several recipes for the financier and choose to adapt Flo Braker’s recipe from Baking for all Occasions. The commonality in the recipes is the inclusion of browned butter or beurre noisette, almond four (or other nut flours), egg whites and powdered sugar. They are simple to prepare and wonderfully delicious. I especially like the single berry bursting with summer goodness which seems to float atop the light and airy financier. This recipe would be equally delightful with blackberries, boysenberries, Marion berries or raspberries. Financiers are a splendid summer treat, simple to bake and easy to pack for a picnic or road trip.
Essentials
Like any other ripe berry the olallies all but slide into your hand when they are ready for harvesting. A crimson red olallie is not ripe, it is very tart and even a bit crunchy. A deep purple olallie that is oblong in shape still is a bit tangy. These oblong purple berries are easier to pick and transport and therefore the berry that is usually available for purchase. To attain maximum sweetness this berry must be on the verge of bursting. Once it becomes round, soft, dull and deep in color, it is then that drupelets are pregnant with sweet crimson juice and the olallie is ready for harvest. The challenge is to harvest the berries when they are ripe without crushing them and releasing their sweet juice. Picking olallies leaves purple stained hands and a sure sign that a sweet summer dessert is eminent.
If you have not baked with browned butter or beurre noisette it is easy to prepare and lends a rich nutty flavor to baked goods. This would be a perfect recipe in which to use a European style or other creamery butter as the taste of the browned butter is the focal point of the financier.
A very easy recipe with one word of advise. The batter is very thick and creamy so I thought if I placed the berries on top they would not sink down inside the financier. But they will in fact sink into the middle of the financier while baking. Which is not a bad thing as the berry then becomes a surprise when you bite into the financier. But to properly show off the summer berries, they must be placed on the financier mid way through baking.
| Ingredients | |
| 1C / 8oz | unsalted butter |
| 3/4C / 75 grams | almond flour |
| 2C / 200 grams | powdered sugar |
| 1/2C / 80 grams | flour |
| 1/2t | baking powder |
| 1/4t | salt |
| 1 | lemon, zested |
| 6 | egg whites, room temperature |
| 1t | vanilla extract |
| 36 | fresh berries, Olallie, blackberries, boysenberries, Marion berries or raspberries | powdered sugar for dusting |
- Prepare the browned butter or beurre noisette by melting the butter in a saucepan or skillet with a light colored or shiny interior on medium-low heat. You will want to be able to watch the process of browning the butter, as it will quickly transform from browned to burnt. (If that happens, you will need to begin again.) Watch the pan the entire time you are browning the butter. At first the butter may sputter for a bit as the milk solids cook. Gently swirl the pan until the milk solids are a warm toasty brown at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat to cool.
- Prior to baking, I strained my browned butter with a fine mesh strainer to remove only the largest of the browned pieces. There are differing approaches to use of the brown butter, from straining through cheesecloth to not straining at all. If I’m making Chocolate Chip Cookies, I don’t strain at all. The choice is yours. However, if you strain with cheesecloth, you will need to increase the amount of butter you brown. The volume of butter will be reduced enough to change the outcome of your recipe. Measure for the recipe after straining through cheesecloth. A guideline is 1/2C butter equals 1/3C strained browned butter.
- Sift or shake through a large sieve the almond flour, powdered sugar, flour, baking power and salt. Push the almond flour though the screen, breaking up any large clumps.
- In a large bowl whisk the egg whites until foamy and doubled in volume. Add the dry ingredients to combine. Then add the cooled browned butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Set the batter aside to thicken for thirty minutes and pre heat oven to 350°. Liberally grease the mini muffin tin with melted butter. If you made extra browned butter it can be used here.
- Fill the mini muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in the pre heated oven for 7-10 minutes. When the financiers begin to brown around the edge of the muffin cups and small bubbles have formed around the outer edge, open the oven and gently place a berry in the center of each financier. Close the oven door and bake for another 5-7 minutes until the financer is uniformly golden in color and no longer wiggles in the center. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Gently remove the financers to a cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar just prior to serving.
Deb: How gorgeous! This is a treat to enjoy all the summer… and to wish to eat the rest of the year.
Thank you for the wonderful comment Denise, much appreciated! It will be Olallieberry season next month!
Financiers are my favourite French treats! Of course, that’s the reason why I was magnetized to this post! YUM! I can eat a dozen of these in one sitting!
Thanks Jen! I agree, Financiers are very tasty French treats!
I’m not sure I’ve ever had olallieberries, but was lucky enough to have grown a dark berry — blackberries? boysenberries? — we were never sure. We made refrigerator jam, lots of scones and pies. Good memories. I love your financiers and have always wanted to make them. This is a push to put them on my list soon — even though I will probably not get to taste them with this type of berry. They’re beautiful!
Thank you for your tasty comment! The Oallieberry’s are similar in taste and look to a blackberry but with a deeper berry flavor like a raspberry. The financiers are easy to prepare and any sweet berry would be festive atop the sweet little cakes.
I’ve never heard of this berry but those financiers look stunning!
Olallieberries are very popular in this area of central California. They are similar to blackberries with a more intense berry flavor. Thank you for your lovely comment Tiffany!
I love financiers, and yours look so sweet and delicious! I’ve never heard of olallieberries, but they certainly look just like blackberries, so perhaps I’ve had them and never knew. Berries are so perfect for summer baking. 🙂
Olallieberries are similar to blackberries, with a deeper, more intense berry flavor. Their growing season is short, just the month June and the first week of July. Agreed! Berries are magnificent for summer baking!
anything mini and i am in and these mimi cakes are no exception. you are so lucky you got to use fresh, hand picked berries!
Yes, berry season is fleeting! Thanks for commenting.
These are just too adorable! I love financiers and love berries, there are right up my alley.
So glad you are enjoying my Olallieberry Financiers, they are scrumptious!
Your little mini cakes look scrumptious! What a fantastic way to showcase those fresh berries.
Thank you Barbara, there is a bit of summer in each financier!
Beautifully done. I just love the photos and browned butter is one of my favorite flavors in baked goods. A lovely recipe you have here.
Thanks for commenting Kate! I’m pleased you enjoyed the post.
I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen these Olallieberries in my markets. I would have mistaken them for the blackberry. I’ll be on the lookout for these gorgeous berries…maybe I’ll even try to grow them!
I luv what you did with the financiers, tucking a berry in each. Thank you for sharing about these berries (like learning about new things!).
Have a great week, Deb! 🙂
Thanks Christina! Olallies are a fleeting summer pleasure. In our area they are available in early June, until the first week of July. Blackberries are very similar in taste and appearance.
Growing up in Kentucky, I don’t think we had olallieberries. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of olallieberries until this past year. I am very curious to taste them. I think I missed the season for this year but I will be on watch for them to hit the markets next year. The financiers look delicate and delicious. I am going to try the recipe using raspberries. It seems these days I just can’t get enough of those sweet little red berries. Your photographs are beautiful!
Our olallieberry season is short, 4-5 weeks, then gone for another year! They are similar to a blackberry, with a more intense berry flavor. Raspberries would also be lovely atop the financier. Let me know if you try them!
These just scream summer, and I love anything bite-sized. I try to always bake tinier treats because then everyone can have a bite, enjoy, and not feel too guilty!
I agree, fresh berries are such a summer treat! I am very pleased with one, plump, ripe Olallie for each financier. They are framed very nicely for a mini portrait of summer!
hi deb, fabulous photos -beautiful berries and I love the wheelbarrows 🙂 I’ve never heard of olallieberry before, I wonder what they taste like? It will be blackberry season for us soon, the flowers are nearly over the berries will soon appear. And your lovely recipe, with a precious fruiity berry in the middle of each dainty treat. Perfect summer fair!
An Olallie is similar in taste to a blackberry, but has more depth of flavor. It is both sweeter and tarter, a berry with character! Thanks for commenting Clarie!
So jealous of the fresh picked berries — we did it here, but only for blueberries 🙂
Oh I would love to pick blueberries! Thank you for commenting.
What a great idea for using your berries. And of course, your top-notch photography really sets these off, Deb. Lovely!
Thank you for your lovely comments Gretchen! I am very pleased that you enjoyed my post.
Beautiful berries and financiers! How fun to get to pick them. What doesn’t grow in California? 😉 The brown butter sounds delicious, and that’s a great tip to add the berries half-way through baking.
Yes, we are blessed with abundance here in California! I was amazed at how well the delicate berries paired with the heavenly browned butter. A very happy summer dessert!
Olallieberries are my absolute favorite! Can I trade you blueberries for olallies? 🙂 Love the brown butter here!
Oh I would love to trade some Olallies for blueberries! Blueberries are my husbands favorite and are scarce locally. And I firmly believe 3 plump blueberries would crown the financier rather gracefully!
Deb, this is a beautiful post and so informative about the berries as well as how to make the perfect financier. I look forward to trying these soon!
Thank you Carol, you lovely comment is inspiring! The financier is easy to prepare and just scrumptious.
Such wondrous fresh berries. A generous and ripe bounty to take home and make amazing treats with! I love these scrumptious little snacks!
The olallie truly is wondrous! Ripe olallies mean summer to me. Thanks for commenting Viviane.