Brown Sugar Honey Madeleines

I've posted a couple of different madeleine recipes on this blog so far, and they've all been good, but this recipe takes the cake, literally! I was looking for a simple recipe that wouldn't take too long to make, that I could snack on with my coffee. After browsing through a handful of recipes I decided on this one due to the additions of brown sugar and honey, as well as plenty of melted butter. And let me tell you, the butter definitely shines through. These madeleines were so light and buttery, with just the right amount of sweetness from the three different kinds of sugar. One little cake is perfect for me to satisfy my cake craving for the afternoon, and the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee.

The batter for these madeleines whips up in just a few minutes. The batter does need to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but that's not too bad. By the time you're done cleaning up and getting your coffee ready you can pop these puppies into the oven and have freshly baked mini cakes in just a few minutes. That's the beauty about madeleines, you get to eat cake without feeling guilty because they are so small and light. The batter can stay in the fridge for up to 2 days as well, so you can mix it up in advance if needed. Very versatile, and very yummy!

Brown Sugar and Honey Madeleines

Adapted from 

Di's Kitchen Notebook

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (13 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon honey (I substituted golden syrup)
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugars until smooth. Whisk in the dry ingredients, followed by the vanilla. Gently whisk in the melted butter, and finally, the honey. You'll have a thick, smooth, shiny batter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Generously butter madeleine pan, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess.

Fill each madeleine mold with about a teaspoon of batter; the molds should be about three-quarters full. Don't worry about leveling the batter--it will do it by itself in the oven.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown around the edges. Remove the pan from the oven and either serve the madeleines immediately or put them on a rack to cool.

Repeat with any remaining batter, making certain to cool and rebutter and flour or respray the pan(s).

Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioner's sugar. Makes around 18-20 madeleines.

Chocolate Madeleines

Chocolate cake was sounding good to me this weekend, but I didn't feel like taking the time to make a whole chocolate cake, plus what would I do with it? I just can't justify eating the whole thing on my own. Then I remembered my Madeleine pan; bite size chocolate cake that don't need to be frosted, perfect! This recipe requires an overnight chill in the fridge, so you have to think ahead a little, but the end product was delicious. Intensely rich, deep chocolate flavor packaged up in a two bite snack, just the right thing to satisfy my chocolate cake craving.

A simple and delicious recipe, it shouldn't have been a problem right? Well, when your oven decides to die the day you are ready to bake it is a problem. There my batter was, waiting patiently in the fridge, but there was no usable oven in sight. I finally texted my sister-in-law and asked if I could come over and borrow her oven, I didn't want all my efforts to go to waste. I'm glad I was able to end up baking these little guys, they made my Saturday afternoon study session much happier. If you have a Madeleine pan I highly recommend giving these little guys a try!

Wet and dry, ready to go

Time to chill in the fridge

A perfect little snack

Chocolate Madeleines
From Lemon and Anchovies
Ingredients

• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (70 grams) all-purpose flour
• 3½ tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• ⅓ cup plus two tablespoons (90 grams) sugar
• Pinch of salt (I don't think my pinch was quite big enough, they could have used a little more salt, so don't be afraid to take a nice big pinch!)
• Grated zest of ¼ lemon (optional)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 6½ tablespoons (3¼ ounces; 100 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions
Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder and set aside. If using the lemon zest, combine the sugar, salt and lemon zest in another bowl and rub the ingredients together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist, grainy and aromatic.

Using a whisk, beat the eggs with the lemon-sugar mixture until blended. Squish the butter through your fingers and add to the bowl. You will be left with little clumps of butter in the mixture–this is okay. Beat in the butter with the whisk until it is evenly distributed. Whisk in the sifted flour mixture just until the flour is incorporated and mixture is smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and chill overnight. If you can’t wait overnight, chill the batter for at least an hour before baking.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 12-mold madeleine pan then dust it with flour (even if you are using a nonstick pan) and tap out the excess.

Divide the batter evenly among the madeleine molds–you don’t have to worry about spreading the batter on the molds, the heat will do that for you. Place the pan in the oven and use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly ajar. Immediately turn down the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the cookies for 11 – 13 minutes, or until the cookies are domed and spring back when pressed lightly. Unmold the cookies and transfer them to a rack to cool to room temperature.

Vanilla Madeleines

Until not that long ago, I'd never heard of a madeleine, but once I saw them and learned what they were I knew I had to try them. If you know me at all then you know that I love cake, it is probably my all time favorite dessert (although that's a very difficult thing to pick), so I knew I would love madeleines, how could I not? In case you are wondering, madeleines are little mini sponge cakes that are baked in special shell shaped molds. Because I didn't own a madeleine pan, I was never abel to give them a try, but thankfully this Christmas I received a madeleine pan from my sister-in-law (thanks Lindsey)!

After receiving my madeleine pan, I went online and just picked a recipe. I just wanted something plain and simple for my first try. This recipe sounded promising, no special add ins or funky ingredients, so I whipped it together in just a few minutes. They really were simple to make, and were ready to eat in less than half an hour, that's a win in my book.

So the verdict? I really do love madeleines, I knew I would but now it's official! They are light and fresh, a bite size cake, the perfect way to satisfy my cake craving without the labor involved in making an entire cake. I don't know how my madeleines compare with a 'true' madeleine but I don't really care. They were delicious which is all that really matters. Now I can't wait to try lots of different variations, this is only the beginning.

The new pan

Beating together the eggs and sugar 

Sift in the flour

Fold in the butter and zest

Fill the molds up

All done!

Sugared and ready to eat

Vanilla Madeleines
Adapted from All Recipes
Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest (optional)
• 1/4 cup butter
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour madeleine molds; set aside.

Melt butter and let cool to room temperature. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light. Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.

Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition. Add zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.

Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with powdered sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea. 

Yields 16-18 madeleines