Madeleines

Yields approximately 12

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c (2 oz./60 g) cake flour
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c (2 oz./60 g) granulated sugar
• 1 t fresh lemon juice
• 1 t vanilla
• 4 T (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter, gently melted,* plus more for greasing Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Generously butter a 12-mold madeleine pan.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.
3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the egg, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture has quadrupled in bulk and is very thick, about 10 minutes.
4. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the flour mixture and then the softened or melted butter into the egg mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared molds, filling each one about three-fourths full.
5. Bake until the madeleines are lightly browned around the edges and on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Remove the madeleines from the oven and immediately turn them out onto a wire rack. Using a fine-mesh sieve or a sifter, dust them with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm.

Note: Madeleine pans typically have 8 or 12 shallow molds and come in tinned steel, metal with a nonstick finish, or pliable silicone. If you use a black nonstick madeleine pan, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) or shorten the baking time by a few minutes.

*We discovered that melting the butter half way, assisted in the folding technique. Melting it all the way made the batter runny. Using room temperature butter didn’t distribute the butter evenly.