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Madeleines are the quintessential French tea cake, with a crisp exterior, and a dense cakelike texture. If you enjoy serving beautiful desserts, it’s worth investing in Madeleine molds, as their mold gives them their distinctive shape and texture. There are a couple of "Madelaine secrets" I’ll share. Although you can make Madeleines with regular melted butter, the clarified butter make the cakes crisper and it is also easier to unmold. About 2 sticks of butter will yield _ cup clarified butter. Also, the batter must be chilled almost solid to produce the hump in the middle of the cake, the hallmark of a true Madeleine. You can chill the batter overnight, covered with plastic wrap. Be certain to wipe off the molds and rebutter them if you are using the molds more than once while making the recipe. And finally, make certain that the oven is preheated before placing the tins in the oven. Cakes are best served slightly warm. Store in airtight jars or tins (assuming there’s any left). Ingredients - 3 extra large eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ground vanilla bean powder (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
- 2 vanilla beans, split
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-1/3 cups sifted unbleached flour
- 3/4 cup clarified unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla beans
Instructions In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the butter with the 2 vanilla beans. Gently steep over low heat for 10 minutes to release the aromatic oils; do not boil. Remove from the heat, and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes. Remove beans from butter, wipe off, and save for another use. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until light colored and thick enough that it falls in ribbons. Beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and ground vanilla beans. Fold flour into eggs, using a rubber spatula. Fold in the flavored butter until just incorporated; don’t over-fold. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Using a small pastry brush, grease two 12-form Madeleine molds with 2 tablespoons of melted clarified butter, spreading evenly. Refrigerate the molds until the butter is set, about 10 minutes. Spoon rounded spoons of the batter into the center of the molds. Do not smooth batter, and fill each mold only about 2/3 full. Bake in the center of the oven for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. The Madeleines should be gold in the center and browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and sharply rap the mold against a surface to loosen them. Turn out, and cool slightly on a wire rack. When Madeleines are still slightly warm, dust with vanilla-scented powdered sugar. Divine! Will make about 2 dozen 3-inch cakes or 3 dozen 2-inch cakes.
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