I’m not going to ramble on about how I’m not much of a baker, I think I’ve mentioned that in previous posts, I’m also not going to go on about how I like to choose easy recipes that often don’t need softened butter, I’ve said it all before!! I hope by posting what I find easy and with using few ingredients it will help you bake more too! 

It’s nice to be able to knock up a cake either for yourself or as a gift, and let’s face it, once you have a few cakes in your repertoire when the urge strikes you’ll be good to go!!

These Madeleines use only a few ingredients, no soften butter, batter can be prepped ahead so minimal clear up, perfect!!!! Great for an afternoon tea with friends, you can make the batter the night before or in the morning cover and leave in the fridge, pop them in the tin, in the oven, 12 mins later you have warm French fancies ready to eat straight from the oven, which I think is pretty impressive!!! 

I sometimes tuck in fresh raspberries, which is a really nice touch, just push it in before you put them in the oven. If you really want to push the boat out you could add lemon curd using a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle. You do this once they come out of the oven, put the nozzle in the mound of the Madeleine and squirt in about a teaspoons worth. ( I think that idea came from a Rahel Khoo recipe ) before you serve them, a dusting with icing sugar looks very pretty. Pot of tea and your good to go! 

Prep time is about 20 mins plus min 2 hrs chilling time, once batter is made cover with cling film and leave in the fridge until you are ready. The batter makes about 24 – 12 minutes cooking time.

Preheat oven to 180/ 160 fan/ gas mark 4

You will need a madeleine tin which you need to grease with butter and lightly dust with flour. I find using a tea strainer works perfectly for the light dusting! 

• 125g butter, melted and cooled, I transfer it to a glass bowl to speed this bit up. Plus extra for greasing.
• 2 large eggs
• 150g caster sugar
• 150g plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or grated zest of one unwaxed lemon, I add both.

Method:

Whisk the eggs and the sugar together in a bowl with an electric whisk for 5 minutes until it is pale and triple in volume. Slowly fold in the flour and the melted butter, then add the vanilla and lemon zest if like me your using both.

Chill the batter in the fridge for at least 2 hrs. 

When your ready place a tablespoon of batter in each prepared mould, don’t over fill the spoon and no need to spread the batter it will do this itself once in the oven. They come out of the tin easily once they are cool enough to handle.Dust with icing sugar, enjoy them warm with a nice pot of tea! 

Deb xx