Banana Chocolate Financier

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
2 & 1/2 bananas
2 sticks (250g) butter
1 cup (130g) ground almonds
1/2 cup (65g) of plain flour
1/2 tbsp of ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 cup (100g) dark chocolate
1 cup (200g) of soft brown sugar
7 egg whites
1 tbsp of pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Cook the butter in a pan until it browns (beurre noisette) and allow to cool. Bake the two bananas in the oven with the skin on for 20 minutes at 325°F (170°C). Allow them to cool and then peel the bananas and mash them.

2. In a bain-marie (double boiler) melt the chocolate and set it aside. Take a mixing bowl and combine all the dried ingredients.

3. Then add in order: the mashed bananas, the melted chocolate, the beurre noisette, the egg whites, the mashed bananas and the vanilla extract. Mix well.

4. Transfer the mixture into a clean bowl, cover the bowl and keep it in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Then spoon the mixture into a prepared cake loaf, and top with half a banana cut length-ways, which should be sprinkled with some sugar to caramelize. Bake the mixture at 325°F (170°C).

5. The cake is ready when you can insert a knife in the cake and it comes out clean.

Note: Be careful as the baking time changes according to the size of the cake tin.