Since we've all been stuck inside for lockdown, many people are currently baking to pass the time, including me! So, Curly Cooks is a series on the various items that I'm making while on lockdown, most of which will carry personal stories. Today's recipe is one that reminds me of my time in France: Madeleines.
Curly Cooks: Madeleines
Madeleines were one of the many snacks provided at my work (along with the
palmiers,
pains aux raisins and
chaussons aux pommes). They were my favourite and I always got excited when I got a madeleine.
So, I decided to try and make them. They seem quite difficult as there are a
lot of steps and they are easy to get wrong, but I managed to make them
successfully on my first try, so maybe they aren't as hard as they
seem.
First of all, you want to melt your butter. Some recipes call for brown
butter, which is when you melt the butter in a saucepan, let it cook until
it goes a brownish golden colour and then let it cool. I did try this but I
was very impatient and I don't think I let it cook for long enough, plus
there was a gross layer of fat over the butter, so in all honesty I would
just use normal unsalted butter and melt it in the microwave. Leave it to
cool, and if any fat does separate out, use the back of a spoon or a small
sieve to separate it out.
While this is cooling, whisk together the 3 eggs and 150g of caster sugar,
until it is yellow and smooth.
Add 150g of plain flour, 1tsp of baking powder and a pinch of salt to this
mixture, and then the lemon zest and the cooled butter. Beat it all together
until it forms a cohesive batter, then put it in the fridge for around one
hour.
In the meantime, get your madeleine tray (if you don't have one, you can
use a cupcake tray - it won't have the iconic shell shape but it will taste
the same and will still have the hump) and spray or spread oil into each
dip. Then, sprinkle some flour in.
This is to make sure that the cakes don't get stuck and that they slide out
easily once cooked.
Preheat your oven to its highest temperature, and spoon mixture into the
tray, filling the moulds about 3/4 full.
Don't worry if it looks thick as it will flatten out into the tray before it
goes in the oven.
Once the oven is heated, put the madeleines in and then immediately turn
down the temperature to around 210C. This shock in temperature change (from
the fridge to the burning hot oven and then down again) is what creates the
iconic hump shape on the madeleine. Let them cook for around 7-10 minutes
depending on their size. Don't be concerned if you don't see the hump
growing at first, I promise it will be there by the time they're cooked, if
you've done everything right.
Take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit, and they should just
slide out of the tray perfectly. Let them cool a bit and you're done!
They taste good immediately but if you leave them for a day or so they will
develop an almost almondy taste which is just beautiful. Enjoy!
Madeleines
Prep time: 75 mins Cook time: 10 mins Yield: 12-24
3 eggs
150g caster sugar
150g plain flour
pinch of salt
1tsp baking powder
zest of 1 lemon
150g unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
Steps:
1. Mix eggs and sugar together until smooth.
2. Add in the flour, salt and baking powder.
3. Mix in the lemon zest and butter, and whisk until you have a smooth, thick
batter.
4. Allow the batter to rest in the fridge for around 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 270C, or your oven's highest setting.
6. Prepare a madeleine tray with oil and flour, and then spoon the mixture
into the mould, to around 3/4 full.
7. Put the tray in the oven and turn it down to 210C as soon as you close the
door.
8. Cook for 7-10 mins, without opening the oven door, until the cakes have
formed a hump and look golden.
9. Allow them to cool and enjoy!
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