Lemon Madeleines

Have any of you been to Homegoods? It’s a bit like World Market– a store that specializes in selling useful and/or quirky home/garden furnishings. I like to drop by every now and then to see what good deals they have in their kitchen and food aisles. When I stumbled upon a Madeleine pan priced at $6.99, I immediately grabbed it and made my way to the check-out station. For a sturdy pan at that price, it’s a wonder why there are any left. Since this classic Madeleine recipe yields for more than what my single pan can produce, I’m planning on going back and purchasing another one soon.

Any-who, for those of you that are unfamiliar, Madeleines are a French small sponge cake, known for its distinct shell pattern. They have a lovely soft and buttery aroma with an ever-so-delicate crisp edge that the shell pan gives it. The classic Madeleine has a beautiful hump in the middle and a lovely browned edge.

After doing some intensive research on these buttery nuggets, I have come to find that the best way to achieve that classic hump is to freeze the pan after it has been buttered and floured so that the pan is stone cold when it hits the oven. Since my pan was thinner and made of dark material, the bottom of my cakes browned very quickly despite their short baking time. While the cakes will not actually taste burnt, I’d suggest that people with similar pans place a cold silpat underneath the pan when it is under the oven. Alternatively, you could use a light colored sheet pan that has been chilled beforehand.

When I finished baking them and removed them from their pan, my dad immediately snagged one. The first words he could muster after finishing it off was, “These taste better than the ones at Costco!”

I suppose it must have been because in a single minute, he polished off three. Looks like these will be one of the rotating staples in the household!

Note*** This version of the recipe is solely mine. When re-posting, please cite me and my website.

Copyright november 2015 ©

Buttery golden Madeleines with a beautiful lemon flavor

>>> Yields 22 2 inch cakes

Time:
-Prep: 20 min
-Bake: 8 min

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 C white sugar
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 8 tbsp (1/2 C) melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 tsp lemon zest

Instructions:

1) Melt butter in the microwave for 20 seconds and add in honey. Whisk until smooth. Allow it to cool for 4-5 minutes.
2) Whip eggs on medium-high speed and slowly add white sugar in and turn mixer on high. Whisk for 3-5 minutes until eggs have doubled in size.
3) Stir butter into the egg mixture. If the butter mixture separated, whisk gently again. Add in vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add in flour, salt, and baking powder and fold lightly.
4) Preheat oven to 375 F.
5) Brush pans with melted butter or oil. Dust the pans with flour and tap out extra flour. Freeze the pans in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
6) Fill each mold 3/4 full with batter. Don’t worry if it isn’t smooth or evenly distributed in the mold.
7) Bake for 8-10 minutes until tops are golden brown and the cakes are set.
8) Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and remove from pan and allow them to cool to room temperature.
9) Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.

Happy eats!