pure gold

Is he hip or is he homeless?

When you're living in super trendy East Los Angeles sometimes that's a valid question. Where the fashion is at times questionable and basic hygiene seems entirely optional, there have been times where you legitimately don't know.

Are you going to buy me a drink?... Or should I actually be buying you one?

To be honest, I've had better conversations with some of the homeless people in this area than half the men that are out and about sporting their distressed garb.  We've discussed the relevance of Aristotle, debated the opposing fundamentals of Plato and then of course Justin Beiber {because who cares about anything else really} all while I'm reaching for whatever change I have left in my purse.

And sometimes, when I'm really lucky I'll find a little bar of gold.. At least that's where these guys got their name {yes judger, sometimes I carry cake in my purse}. "Financiers" were supposedly created in a Parisian Financial district and modeled in rectangular tins to replica little bars of gold.  I decided to make mine in mini cupcake tins which I highly recommend. Made mostly out of almond meal and egg whites, it's a light and slightly chewy tea cake that really should be treated like the bar of Gold is was modeled after.  Okay fine, it's a little bourgeois, but once you get past it's upperclass beginnings, you'll realize that it's just a fancy cupcake that really wants to live out its destiny by going mainstream.


Financiers
5 large egg whites
11 tablespoons of melted butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
87 grams of Almond Meal
50 grams of all purpose flour
185 grams of icing sugar

Preheat Oven to 350F
Yields around 36 mini Financiers
Generously butter mini cupcake tins but also feel free to use liners for easier cleaning and removal. Beat together egg whites until incorporated. Don't worry about stiff peaks or anything, as soon as you've created a few air bubbles that should do the trick. Then add remaining ingredients all bar raspberries. Mix until evenly incorporated. Add around two tablespoons of mixture to mini cupcake tins and place one raspberry on the centre of each mold. Bake for around 12 minutes until skewer comes out clean.
It doesn't get easier!

If only I could actually financially trade with these guys I'd be set! And so would my neighbors and half the homeless guys in my neighborhood.

Dedicated to John.

xo tash