Since I stopped the farmer’s market I have been missing the dear sweet flavor of the Josephine, an almond-butter-rum financier that I developed with inspiration from the friand at La Panier in the Pike Place Market.

I grew up in Brier, Washington, a little leg of Kenmore, with it’s own police department and a candy store , which is most likely where my chocolate passion truly started. My parents had their hands full with 4 kids so we didn’t get to the city often. But when we did make the trek, we always stopped at La Panier for their friand, a perfect butter financier. We would buy enough for each to have two because while eating the first, you couldn’t help but think about the next. The frinads at La Panier have changed shape at least 3 times since I first encountered them, which had to have been a good 20 years ago, but the flavor and texture are the same…spot on. So, when I was working at Canlis, I was determined to re-create the friand as a gift for my little sister who loves them so. Actually, my whole family loves them but it was my little sister who’s name now claims my version of my first childhood pastry romance. My sisters name is Kaycee, not Josephine, but my brother and I have been calling her Josephine for years, a hybrid of her two middle names – Jo Nadine.

Anyhow, the point of all of this is to say that I miss making the Josephines for people! They sold out nearly every time at the Ballard Farmers Market and it made me so happy to slip a little bit of heaven into a brown paper bag in exchange for a few bucks and a big smile. ..