Food for thought: Browned butter in the real world- a recipe for Raspberry Financiers

RASPBERRY FINANCIERS

2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 pinch salt
¾ cup brown butter*, warm
2 - 3 half pints fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs through honey. Set on a pot of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is warm (if you don't whisk constantly, you'll end up with scrambled eggs).

Remove bowl from heat and gently whisk in the flour, sugar and salt. Gradually mix in the warm butter (butter should be the same temperature as the egg mixture).

At this point, you can either fold in the raspberries (if you do this, I suggest using frozen berries so they don't fall apart) and divide the batter between two 9-inch cake pans, OR you can pipe the batter into Madeleine molds or mini muffin tins, then press a few raspberries into the batter.

Bake until the financiers are golden brown, puffed and firm to the touch; about 15 minutes for the mini muffin tins/Madeleine molds, and about 30 - 40 minutes for the cake pans.

*Approximately ¾ lb (12 oz.) unsalted butter will yield ¾ cup brown butter.
Lovely Laurie has sent forth this heavenly recipe for raspberry financiers.
A necessary ingredient in this recipe is browned butter. Ay, papi, you gotta have brown butter!
Don't use margarine and wonder why your stuff doesn't taste real! Click here to find out how to brown butter (better late than never.)

And Laurie asks us to bear in mind that this restaurant recipe has been drastically reduced, so it may need extra tweaking. Thanks for sharing! Check out where Miss L. was turning out fantissimal desserts: http://www.absinthe.com/

For those too lazy to click, you will not be denied the dessert menu...



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Scratch and sniff beneath the surface: Beauty is skin deep, but chemicals go deeper

We've all heard people say, "You are what you eat." So how come people don't say, "You are what you bathe in"?

Of course, looking fly and feeling fabulous are great. Here comes the caveat: as long as they don't cause more harm than good. PLEASE look at the Environmental Working Group's profiles for tested beauty products and their index of concern by clicking on the title link. Fellas, this means you, too. Unless you don't bathe, brush teeth, scent or moisturize. But then, if you did none of those things, your index of concern would be higher hygiene-wise!

The more we choose wisely, the more we influence what others dictate can go on and in our bodies. Be a fly and fabulous vigilante!