NON STOP BAKING: French Madeleines

Madeleines are light and airy with a slightly crisp exterior fresh out of oven. The lemon zest used gives it a hint of lemony taste. They are best eaten on the day they are made. Leftovers are great dunked into coffee or tea. You will need a Madeleine pan to give it its characteristic shell like exterior.

Makes 10 Madeleines of about 3 inches

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/16 teaspoon salt
33.3 grams (1/6 cup) white granulated (fine) sugar
31.3 grams (1/4 cup) all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
28.3 grams (1/8 cup) butter
Extra all purpose (plain) flour, for dusting the pan

You will also need a madeleine pan. I have only 1 pan that can make 5 at a time, so i did them in 2 batches.

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit).

2. Zest a lemon to get about 1/2 tablespoon of lemon zest.

3. Measure out the other ingredients. As this recipe do not need very great precision, i use measuring cups to measure out most of the ingredients.

Put the salt, vanilla essence and egg into a bowl.
Measure out and melt the butter.
Put granulated sugar, flour and lemon zest separately.
Grease (using oil spray or butter) and flour your madeleine pan using all-purpose flour

4. Using an electric beater, beat the eggs, vanilla and salt mixture till it is paler, for about 1 minute on high speed.

3. Then, slowly and gradually add sugar, all the while maintaining your beater at medium/high speed until the mixture is thick and pale and you can see the beater leaving obvious prints on the batter while you are beating.

4. Gently fold in flour in 3 additions (1/3 of the flour at a time).

5. Gather the batter at the middle of the bowl and add the lemon zest and butter around the edge of the batter. Quickly and gently fold in the melted butter into the batter.

6. Spoon the batter into the madeleine moulds, filling them to the top. Bake them for 7 - 9 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown and springs back to the touch when you gently press with your fingertips.