💫 Guest Chef Sandra Holl of Floriole Bakery: Chocolate Hazelnut Financier

💫 Part 1 of our Guest Chef series: Chicago-based Floriole's Sandra Holl shares her delicious financier recipe and answers our Baker's Dozen Questionnaire.

Chocolate Hazelnut Financier, photo from Floriole

Mark testing the financier recipe, decorating the flip side on the left, and decorating the top of the financier in the center photo. Photo by Mark Chacon

Sandra worked at the original Tartine Bakery in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood in the early days—years before opening Floriole in Chicago, where she can still be found making these financiers and other gorgeous pastries.

HYC BAKER'S DOZEN QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What food holds the happiest memories for you?

I have the fondest memories of my dad making Swedish pancakes on the weekends. The magical recipe is vague with heaping spoonfuls of flour and sugar mixed with eggs and thinned with some whole milk, yet it works every time. His Swedish pancakes are paper thin with crispy edges and we always slather them with salted butter and roll them up before eating. 

2. Which chef, living or dead, do you most admire, and why?

As a child, I was captivated by Julia Child's PBS cooking show, where she made cooking both accessible and entertaining. In a household where cooking was a rarity, her demonstrations of intricate recipes and techniques were fascinating. As I learned more about her journey learning to cook French cuisine by enrolling in culinary school in Paris, I was amazed. Julia defied stereotypes and fearlessly forged her path in a culinary world that was not welcoming to women.

3. What's your guiltiest pleasure food-wise?

I have an unhealthy obsession with the queso and chips at Chipotle.

4. What three cookbooks would you save from a fire?

   The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers

   The Last Course - Claudia Flemming 

   Pulp, a practical guide to cooking with fruit by Abra Berens

5. What is a meal/dessert you never tire of?

I would happily eat pizza everyday.

6. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I'm really proud that I have created a space that is supported by our neighborhood and community where aspiring bakers can come to learn and grow. 

7.  What's the most memorable meal of your life?

Years ago, Matheiu and I had the unforgettable experience of dining at L'Atelier Joel Robuchon in Paris. To our surprise, we were seated at the bar alongside an older gentleman and his beloved dog, Fifi—who occupied a chair right beside him! While the charming duo made for a memorable experience, the standout was the chestnut soup with caramelized foie gras. To this day my mouth waters whenever I think of the rich flavors of that soup.

8. What kitchen tool do you reach for the most?

A good knife and cutting board. Beyond that, I use my microplane quite a bit.

9. Is there anything you would change about your culinary education and how?

As a culinary school graduate with only two baking and pastry classes under my belt, I have often considered the value of additional training in baking and pastry. Despite not having much formal training, my time as an intern and then as a member of the team at Tartine filled in my knowledge gaps. Looking back, I now see the great value that could have come from working in a variety of other restaurants and bakeries before starting my business. 

10. What was your favorite dessert/sweet thing when you were a kid?

As a kid, I loved Little Debbie Nutty Bars—wafer cookies sandwiched with peanut butter and coated in "chocolate."

11. Favorite kind of birthday cake - either to make or receive?

I love a coconut cake with whipped cream for myself and if I'm making a birthday cake for someone else, I want to make whatever it is they love. 

12. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Kid snuggles, a great cup of coffee, tennis with friends, spring in Chicago, lentil soup, dog zoomies, garlic bread, gardening, impromptu date nights, sea salt caramels, rhubarb, a new sharpie, peach pie.

13. What's your motto?

Don't let perfection get in the way of good enough.

RECIPE

Yields 8 small cakes made in doughnut baking pan or muffin tin

Cakes

• 115g / 1/2 C unsalted butter, melted, cooled

• 80g / 3/4 C + 1 Tbs hazelnut flour (see below for making ground hazelnuts)

• 50g / 1/2 C cocoa powder

• 150g / 1 C + 3 1/2 Tbs confectioners’ sugar

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 140g / 4-5 egg whites, large, room temperature

Whisk the hazelnut flour, cocoa, sugar, and baking powder together. Mix in egg whites just until combined. Slowly add melted butter, stirring to incorporate. Chill batter until firm.

Preheat oven to 375ºf. Prepare doughnut tins or muffin tins by buttering and dusting with cocoa powder (as you would for flouring a tin) eight of the wells. Floriole uses doughnut tins. No need to butter mold if you are using silicone or nonstick tins.

Divide the batter between 8 wells. Bake for 6 minutes, then reduce heat to 350ºf and bake for another 6 minutes. Rotate as needed. Cool, turn out of molds.

Ganache

• 200g / 3/4 C + 2 scant Tbs heavy cream

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 100g / 3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, 62% (or close), coarsely chopped

• 100g / scant 1/4 C + 2 Tbs praline paste, store bought or recipe follows

Bring the cream and salt to a boil and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for four minutes, then gently whisk until smooth, trying not to incorporate air into the mixture. Stir in the praline paste and mix until smooth. Mixture can be used right away, or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When ready to use, heat in microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.

To assemble components:

Cakes; flip so that the bottoms become the top

120ml / 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, cut in half

Ganache, warmed enough to drizzle

Large flake salt, optional

Spoon some of the ganache on top, just so it reaches the sides. Let it set. Set some of the toasted nuts decoratively on top. If you like, drizzle some additional ganache over the whole cake.

Alternatively, you can simply dip the tops of the cakes into the melted ganache, letting the excess drip off. Top with nuts and drizzle additional ganache over the whole cake if you like.

Hazelnut Praline Paste

Yields 300t / 10 1/2 ounces

• 200g 1 1/2 C toasted hazelnuts (still warm), skin still on

• 100g / 1/2 C sugar

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Have a heat-proof rubber spatula ready.

Make a dry caramel by cooking the sugar over high heat in a medium size sauce pan. Swirl the pot continuously, but don’t stir (stirring will cause the sugar to crystalize). The sugar should be a dark amber, and might smoke a bit. As soon as it has reached a nice amber, take it off the heat and pour onto the prepared parchment or silicone mat. Use the spatula to scrape out all of the caramel. Smooth the caramel out to a thin layer. It will harden quickly. Break into 2-inch pieces.

Place the still-warm hazelnuts, broken up caramel, and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process, stopping occasionally scraping the sides down. Keep processing until it is a smooth paste, 8 to 12 minutes.