MADELEINES

MADELEINES “She sent for one of those squat plump little cakes called “petites madeleines,” which look as though they had been molded in the fluted valve of a scallop shell … I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure invaded my senses … And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine…”
Marcel Proust

Reverence to Joel Robuchon’s recipe

 
Ingredients for 24 Honey madeleines
 
Unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pans, approx. 2 tbsp
200g unsalted butter
200g sugar (powdered sugar)
80g all-purpose flour
80g ground almonds (almond meal)
6 large egg whites
1 tablespoon strong-flavoured honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Options :

Lemon Madeleine
Add 6cl organic/ lemons juice and the zest of 2 organic lemons
Hazelnuts Madeleine
Add 80g hazelnuts powder
and only 50g of grounds almonds
​You can add as well 100g of hazelnuts paste or 100g hazelnuts chocolat (melted) but it is not essential.
Pistachios Madeleine
Add 80g unsalted, ground pistachios
and only 50g ground almonds
and ½ teaspoon of green additive colour (be careful with the quantity, the last time I have added it, it ended up with fluorescent Madeleines    as you can see in the photos above :)
I found that the pistachios are not very powerful in terms of taste so if you can add few drops of pistachios essence if you can find it if not
make sure to still add the ground almonds
 
Basic method
 

1. In a saucepan heat the butter over medium-high heat. It will bubble,                                      then foam and finally the solids in the butter will brown and smell nutty.
2. Strain the browned butter into a bowl and allow it to cool. It shouldn’t be solid, but no longer hot.
3. Sift together the sugar, flour and almond meal.                                                             (in case of preparing one or more other options, please add the other ingredients listed)
4. Beat the egg whites until foamy, but still very soft, so they run off the beater when it is lifted. Whisk in the dry ingredients.
5. Add the brown butter, honey and vanilla. If you want a lemon scented cake, then stir in the zest and juice.                             
6. Generously grease the pan with butter. (I highly recommend getting a nonstick Madeleine pan)        and sprinkle a little bit of flour, trow away the excess.
7. Fill the pans with the batter. 
8. Chill for at least 1hour, but this can be done a day or two ahead.   
9. After one hour or two, preheat the oven to 180/185 C
10. Bake the cakes for about 12/16 minutes or until they are golden brown on the edges and pale, but firm on the top.
11. Check every 5 minutes, depending on your oven, as the cooking process is very quick and it can burn in a micro second.
12. The cakes will dome on the top and that is part of their signature look.

Serve warm or allow to cool with a delicious vervain tea or and vanilla ice cream.