Classic French Madeleines

Madeleines are very small sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape acquired from being baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions. They are super easy and quick to make.  My granddaughter and I made them for our recent tea party. The only drawback to these little cakes is that they don't stay fresh long.  If you have more than you can use at one sitting, bag them up and pass them around to the neighbors.  They won't complain!

 

The madeleines were a great addition to our tea time treats!
 

Most madeleine recipes call for vanilla extract in the batter. As I went to grab the vanilla from the cabinet my eye drifted to a bottle of Fiori di Sicilia (Flowers of Sicily) that I have.  It's an extract that combines vanilla, citrus and flower essences. It smells so good and the combination of citrus and floral in baked goods is wonderful.  I used this flavoring in lieu of the vanilla and omitted the lemon zest called for in the recipe. They were delightful!

The lemon zest can be replaced with any citrus zest or omitted if you're not a fan of citrus flavors.

Classic French Madeleines

2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract **
1 tablespoon lemon zest **
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray two madeleine pans with nonstick spray.

Place butter in a microwave safe dish and microwave in 20-second intervals until completely melted. Set aside to cool.

Combine the sugar and eggs in a bowl and mix on medium-low speed. Mix until slightly foamy. Add the flour and baking soda and mix until combined. Add in the melted butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest.  Stir until combined.

Add approximately one tablespoon of batter to each of the shell-shaped cavities in the madeleine pans.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the tops of the madeleines no longer jiggle.

Cool the madeleines in the pans for a few minutes, then gently remove them from the pans (using a knife if necessary).  Finish cooling them on a wire rack.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Makes 20-24.

** I used 1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia and omitted the lemon zest.