Sponsored Post: This post is sponsored by the French Ministry of Agriculture. The content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Blond Chocolate-Dipped Pistachio Financier is a delightful French-inspired dessert made with unique blond chocolate and silky French butter. Light almond and pistachio financiers are dipped in warm blond chocolate, finished with an additional blond chocolate variety and chopped pistachios for crunch.
I’m a Francophile — I love French culture, food and wine. Each visit to France deepened my appreciation for ingredients like butter, cheese and chocolate. For this post I partnered with the French Ministry of Agriculture to showcase French products available in the United States. My aim was to recreate a simple French evening at home: a fresh baguette with butter and cheese, a thoughtful wine pairing, and a memorable dessert: Blond Chocolate-Dipped Pistachio Financier.
To begin the evening, I kept things simple: President butter spread on a fresh baguette with slices of P’tit Basque cheese. President butter is made from cultured cream in Normandy, a region famous for rich dairy; it has a smooth texture and deep flavor that works beautifully for spreading and baking. P’tit Basque is a sheep’s milk cheese from the Basque region with a subtly sweet, nutty finish. Together, they make a perfect French starter — uncomplicated, rustic and delicious.
We paired the appetizer and dessert with wines from notable French producers: Mas de Daumas Gassac from Languedoc, known for its balanced and elegant whites, and Moulin de Gassac Guilhem rosé, an approachable rosé with bright red fruit character that complemented the blond chocolate dessert. Les Vignobles André Lurton from Bordeaux supplied additional options — a fresh, fruity Château Bonnet White and a Bonnet Red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that pairs well with meat and richer flavors. Wine elevates the meal and ties the French theme together.
Now for the star ingredient: BLOND chocolate. This is not white, milk, or dark chocolate — blond chocolate is a distinct variety with a caramelized, shortbread-like flavor and a blond color. The well-known DULCEY 32% blond chocolate was developed after an accidental caramelization of white chocolate produced a delicate scent and flavor reminiscent of shortbread and caramelized milk. Valrhona later introduced ORELYS 35%, a blond chocolate made with dark muscovado sugar for deeper molasses notes and a rich brown color. Both blond chocolates are fantastic for baking and for coating these pistachio financiers.
The financiers themselves are light and tender. The batter uses egg whites, almond meal, finely ground pistachios, browned French butter, a touch of flour, and two kinds of sugar. The batter benefits from a brief rest in the refrigerator, then bakes quickly in mini molds. Once cooled, dip each financier into melted blond chocolate, let set on a rack, and top with a half piece of ORELYS and more chopped pistachios for texture and contrast.
Blond Chocolate-Dipped Pistachio Financier
Summary: A light almond and pistachio financier dipped in BLOND DULCEY 32% chocolate, finished with ORELYS 35% and chopped pistachios. Made with French President butter for a rich, nutty flavor.
Course: Dessert • Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 1 hour • Cook Time: 16 minutes • Total Time: 1 hour 16 minutes
Servings: 12 • Calories: 377 kcal
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 8 tbsp President butter (plus more for brushing)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tbsp almond meal
- 1/2 cup pistachios, finely ground
- 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
- 8 oz BLOND DULCEY 32% chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup ORELYS 35% chocolate, halved
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Brown the butter: place butter in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat until browned (about 5 minutes). Strain into a bowl and let cool.
- Mix egg whites with brown and confectioners’ sugar and salt until smooth (about 5 minutes).
- Fold in flour, almond meal, ground pistachios and baking powder.
- Stir in the cooled browned butter until incorporated.
- Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush mini muffin tins with butter and place 1–2 pieces of chopped pistachio in each mold.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into each mold and bake for 16 minutes until golden brown. Cool.
- Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Place the chopped BLOND DULCEY chocolate in a bowl, pour the hot cream over it and mix until smooth.
- Dip each cooled financier into the melted blond chocolate and stand on a rack to set. Top each cake with half a piece of ORELYS 35% chocolate and a few chopped pistachios. Let set and serve.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 377 kcal • Carbohydrates: 37 g • Protein: 5 g • Fat: 25 g • Saturated Fat: 13 g • Cholesterol: 33 mg • Sodium: 192 mg • Fiber: 2 g • Sugar: 28 g
I hope this inspires you to create a French-inspired evening at home: a fresh baguette with President butter and P’tit Basque cheese to start, a thoughtfully chosen wine, and these warm, blond chocolate-dipped pistachio financiers to finish. Bon appétit!
Read about the author Edyta and follow Eating European on social media for more recipes and travel-inspired posts.