Lemon Almond Madeleines

I'm keeping my word and sharing today's recipe, which I had promised in my earlier post. I was happy to see Daiso restock their madeleine moulds, and I bought a few more to bake these. It's very easy to scarf down one after another of these moreish French cookies, so it makes sense to make a big batch at a go.

Now, if you are apprehensive about making madeleines, let me assure you that it requires less time and technique to make them than some cakes do. What's most important is to use a light hand when folding in the flour, and to keep the batter chilled before baking. Observe these, and a light, airy treat is yours to enjoy.


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One thing to note, though. The original recipe (link below) comes without the lemon zest - it was simply called Almond Madeleines. However, I found the eggy taste and smell a bit too overwhelming and decided to add lemon zest the second time I made them. I'm glad I did. Just a teaspoon not only masked the eggy-ness, it also added fragrance and depth to the flavours. You can use orange zest if you like ... anything citrusy goes beautifully with the nuttiness of the almonds. :)
PS: Like chocolate? Here's a great Chocolate Lemon Madeleine recipe.

In true French fashion, I served these to my children for their le quatre heures, nevermind that it was the weekend and there was no school. After all, we should never skip our meals, tea time included! ;)


These madeleines may not have the prettiest imprints, but what the heck, they taste great! And at $2 a mould (buy more!), one can hardly complain.
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Recipe
(adapted from Art of the Home)

Yields 24-30 madeleines

- 6 eggs
- 150 grams (about 10.5 Tbsp) of softened unsalted butter+extra to butter your madeleine moulds
- 170g caster sugar
- 170g flour, sifted
- 100 grams finely ground almonds (I used 120g)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (or more, if you like)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Confectioners sugar for dusting (optional)

1. Combine flour, baking powder and ground almonds in a bowl. Whisk to mix well and set aside.

2. In another bowl, beat soft butter and sugar until creamy.

3. Add in eggs one at a time at high speed. You want to get a pale yellow mixture. Add lemon zest.

4. Add flour-baking powder-ground almond mixture in 2 to 3 additions, folding gently with a spatula. It is important not to overmix. As long as the ingredients are combined, stop.

(Left) If you are using teflon moulds, you're lucky. But for people like me - using stainless steel moulds - make sure you grease every crevice and cranny like your life depended on it. Yes, even around the rims of each "shell". This will ensure your madeleines come out whole. (Right) The hump is to madeleines what feet are to macarons.
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5. Using a spoon, carefully scoop batter onto greased madeleine moulds. Allow the madeleine batter to rest in the fridge (use a cling wrap for cover), as this will relax the gluten and give a light texture. Also, it helps in giving your madeleines those knobbly humps.
* Note: I was short of time, so I chilled the batter for only 20mins (and uncovered, at that!) but thankfully, the humps managed to appear, as you can see.

6. Pre-heat oven to 200°C (390°F) and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until golden yellow on the top and golden brown on the bottom. Start monitoring at the 10-minute mark, it can go fast and overcooked madeleines turn out dry instead of light and airy.

7. Gently loosen the madeleines using a small silicone spatula or a knife. This should be easy if you have greased the moulds. Place on cooling rack (hump facing up otherwise you’ll marks on your madeleines) or plate.

8. Dust with confectioner's sugar if desired. I skipped that and went straight to photography. When I finally tasted one (still warm), all I could think of was, "Ahh, France!"


My hand model groaned and protested when I asked her to hold still. She wanted to eat in peace. Ooops! :p
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