French Madeleines

These cakey cookies originate from North-Eastern France and have a typical lemon aroma.

The recipe is fairly simple. A variation is the addition of some ground nuts like almonds or hazel nut.

Some don't even add the lemon zest leaving the recipe as a bare génoise sponge cake.

You'll only need a special pan with shell-like depressions, usually 12 of them on the pan. The one I used has a shell size of 7,5 x 5 cm. The size (as with other recipes) can affect how well the batter cooks. This is something you have to eye-ball if the size differs.

1.  Whisk the eggs with the sugar, lemon zest/juice and vanilla until a pale yellow foam forms. While doing that, melt the butter at low heat.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder over the battered eggs and stir gently with a spatula until homogeneous.
3. Pour in the milk while stirring.
4. Add the almost cold butter, fold with a spatula.
5. Preheat oven at 240°C. Grease the madeleine pan with some butter and fill each mold with the batter until it is full. Contrary to some recipes, it is safe to fully fill the shells since madeleines cook quickly.
6. Lower heat to 200°C and slide madeleine pan in the middle of the oven.
7. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Leave to cool until luke warm. Use a fork or pastry pins to take the madeleines out of the pan.

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