Vanilla Madeleine

Mmmm…Madeleine’s! The thought of these plump little sponge cake French cookies always makes my think of Transporter when Lai serves a fresh batch…

Last night I was looking for something to hit the sweet spot, something that wouldn’t require any fancy ingredients, sending my poor husband on a wild hunt in the shops, something semi quick-and-easy. Voila! Freshly baked madeleine’s came to mind and oh boy were they the perfect answer!

This is perfect for a tea-time treat and best served straight out of the oven. Because you should pop them in the fridge before baking, I would recommend making this and baking it just before serving – your guests will love the freshly baked smell in your home and these fluffy treats.

Ingredients:

125g butter (melted)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract/essence (depending on your preference)
Optional: 1/2 tsp orange zest
3 large eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Tblsp icing sugar

Method:

Cream the butter and granulated sugar in a stand mixer on high until it is light, fluffy and turns a pale colour.
Add the vanilla essence and if you’d like, the orange zest to the butter mixture. Switch the mixer to low speed and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. This is a critical stage, do not rush the process or the mixture may curdle.
Beat the mixture on medium-high for approximately 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture has lightened in color and is very fluffy.
In a separate bowl, sift and mix together the flour and baking powder. Very gently fold the flour and baking powder into the egg mixture using a spatula. Once the batter is smooth, cover it and transfer it to the refrigerator for approximately 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Generously grease 2 standard madeleine pans to prevent the cakes from sticking. Spoon the cooled batter into the molds.
Bake them in the preheated oven for 10-13 minutes, until they are puffed and turn golden brown.
Invert the pans onto wire racks and give them a hard tap to remove the cookies from the molds.
Serve them warm dusted with icing sugar for a delicious flavor.
Feel free to decorate them as you prefer either dipped in chocolate or drizzled with chocolate or caramel sauce.
I drizzled my batch with the incredibly delicious milk chocolate sauce from The Whimsical Whisk