I am absolutely mad about these french little cakes! 

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This little French butter cake or cookies that most (non-French) people think of. Shell-shaped madeleines have a classy, literary reputation, having served as Proust’s muse in his famous Remembrance of Things Past. However, madeleines appear to be simple but actually require a great amount of patience and careful watching of oven temperature while baking.

 

In the end, you will be rewarded with a truly unique little cake, browned and crispy on the outside and spongy and soft on the inside. A perfect  accompaniment to your afternoon cup of tea.

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I have listed some pointers to look out for while making them.

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First things first! To make this recipe, you will need a Madeleine mold.  I had a shiny metal one, bought from a kitchen store in Tokyo. During my first attempt in using this new mould, my madeleines were stuck to the pan even though I had brushed softened butter onto the mould, to grease it. It was quite sad as the flavour and textures will really good.  For the second attempt, I brushed melted butter and then dusted it with some flour before piping in the dough.  However, I think it had a "rougher" texture on the surface.  Hence, a good nonstick version would be a better choice.

One of the most important steps in this recipe is beating the eggs and sugar together. You’re going to want to gradually add the sugar into the eggs, and beat the mixture for a long time; about 3 to 4 minutes.  I find 3 and 1/2 minutes or till the mixture is pale and thick is a good indication.

And the hardest part of this recipe?! The waiting! The batter must be refrigerated for at least 4 hours or overnight. The good news? You can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days!

 

Finally, be sure to keep an eye on them as they bake. They’re ready when their “bellies” have risen and they’re golden brown. Yes, these little darlings need a lot of TLC!

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Enjoy!

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