Madeleines
Transport your taste buds to the charming streets of France with my delightful Madeleine recipe. These petite, shell-shaped sponge cakes are a masterpiece of simplicity and elegance. Baked to a golden perfection, each Madeleine boasts a tender, buttery crumb that practically melts in your mouth. Infused with honey and hints of citrus zests, these dainty treats offer a symphony of flavours that dance on your palate. They’re the perfect accompaniment to a cozy cup of tea, a sweet ending to any meal or just when you’re in the mood for a small sweet treat.
Madeleines
Description
Serve them fresh out of the oven for that heavenly warm embrace or let them cool for a sweet, satisfying snack any time of day. Share these little slices of heaven with friends and family, and savour a taste of France in every bite.
Ingredients
Instructions
Batter
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In a medium pot, melt the butter, brown sugar, and honey over low heat. Stir gently with a heatproof spatula to ensure nothing burns. Keep the mixture warm over very low heat, or reheat if necessary.
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In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, salt, flour, and baking powder and mix well with a whisk. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs one by one, whisking to incorporate each before adding the next. TIP: Use room temperature eggs to avoid cooling down the batter. If the batter is too cold, the butter may congeal when you add it.
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When the eggs are fully incorporated and the batter is smooth, slowly whisk in the butter mixture. Whisk in the lemon and orange zests. The batter will still be runny and similar in consistency to cake batter. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the batter, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate overnight to rest. TIP: Many recipes containing baking powder do well to rest overnight. This helps with rising, which is especially important for the madeleine – a pastry that puffs up in the center when it bakes.
Piping, Bake & Serve
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Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F for conventional or 175°C/ 350°F for convection. TIP: In general for baking pastries, set your oven to convection if the option is available. This allows the heat to flow more evenly. It’s an ideal setting because it helps pastries bake evenly on all sides.
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Using a rubber spatula, place 2 large scoops of batter in a piping bag so that it is one-third full. Push the batter down toward the tip of the bag.
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Cut an opening about ½ inch straight across the tip of the bag.
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Hold the nonstick cooking spray about 10cm / 4inches away from a nonstick mini madeleine pan and spray evenly in all the cavities.
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Holding the piping bag at a 90-degree angle about ½ inch above the pan, pipe the madeleine batter into the cavities so that it fills each about three-quarters of the way to the top.
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Bake the madeleines for about 2 to 2½ minutes on the center rack. When you see the batter puff up in the center, rotate the pan 180 degrees. Bake for 2 to 2½ minutes more, until the sides of the madeleines are golden blonde and the center has set.
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Unmold immediately. Bang the corner or sides of the madeleine pan against your work surface so that the fresh madeleines drop out. TIP: If you find that the madeleines stick to the mould, for the next batch, try spraying a bit more cooking spray. Also, keeping the mould clean and washing it thoroughly with a soft sponge after use will also prevent the madeleines from sticking.
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Using a small sieve, sprinkle icing sugar evenly over the fresh-baked madeleines. Eat immediately (do not wait for more than even a few minutes!).
Note
Storage:
Madeleines are good only when freshly baked. Do not attempt to store them. However, you can keep the batter in a closed airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
