Baking is definitively “my thing”. Oh yes I do enjoy cooking lunch and dinner dishes too but I find baking to be so therapeutic and satisfying. Not only are the taste buds rewarded, so too is our sense of smell, as the aromas of sugar, vanilla, lemon, chocolate, fruit, yeasted breads and the like waft through the house. It’s just a pity that a bout of baking bliss also results in extra calories – but then eating in moderation and adding in regular exercise seems to counteract any extra kilos creeping up! That’s the advice I’ve always followed, given to me by my late grandmother Baba Joka. Just look at the svelte French women. It works for them too. An excellent and easy example of home baked goods is Madeleines.
Neither too big, nor too small, Madeleines fill the gap between a slice of traditional sponge cake and a soft biscuit, providing the perfect blend of a moist, discretely flavoured, soft and light treat suitable for morning or afternoon tea. Having said that, my younger three polished off a couple each following their breakfast as the trays came out of the oven right on time.
My children Sofia and Luka had pointed out the picture of these French edible delights scattered on the cover of this month’s Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine. Their comments in turn reminded me of a recipe by Rachel Khoo in her beautifully presented cookbook, The Little Paris Kitchen. My husband had recently purchased this publication for me as a wedding anniversary gift (I collect cookbooks, pour over them). Don’t be deterred by having to make the batter in advance. In fact this is an enormous advantage in a busy household, as it can be mixed up the evening prior to when they are needed.
The recipe for my Lemon and Vanilla Scented Madeleines is an adaption of the Australian Gourmet Traveller and Rachel Khooversions, based on the ingredients I had available in my pantry last night. I also adore the combination of fresh lemon and vanilla. I hope you like them as much as my children do…there are only five out of this morning’s batch of 24 left!
Lemon and Vanilla Scented Madeleines makes 24
Ingredients
3 eggs
130g raw caster sugar. I opted for this over caster sugar due to the light caramel colour in the finished baked product)
1 tablespoon honey
finely grated lemon zest (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
200g plain flour, sifted
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
60ml milk
200g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Melt the butter then set aside to cool slightly. I used a microwave to do this.
In the meantime, using an electric mixer or hand held beater, whisk together the eggs, sugar, honey, lemon rind and vanilla until fluffy and paler in colour.
Whisk the milk into the butter with a fork and then pour this into the egg/sugar mixture. Mix until smooth.
Add the sifted flour and baking powder and fold through using a mixing spoon or large spatula until just combined.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight.
When you are ready to bake your Madeleines, preheat the oven to 190 degrees centigrade on a conventional setting (or 170 fan-forced).
Lightly grease your Madeleine shells and sprinkle with a little more plain flour. Tip the tins upside down and tap to shake off any excess flour.
Spoon a level tablespoon of batter into each shell. DO NOT LEVEL OUT! The batter will slowly take on the shape of each shell. You can also scoop the batter into a piping bag and half fill each shell, although I found it much faster to use a tablespoon and a small flexible spatula.
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until the Madeleines have risen slightly, taken on a deep golden colour and slightly browned around the edges. Ovens vary so keep an eye on your baking.
Remove from the tins and place on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes until you can comfortably handle them. Dust with icing sugar and place on a serving platter – unless little hands reach up over the bench and gobble a couple down in record time! Madeleines are best eaten warm, but still remain moist and delicious at room temperature.
The Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe suggests dunking each one into silky spiced crème Anglaise, whilst Rachel Khoo fills hers with lemon curd after adding a fresh raspberry to each shell prior to baking. Both options sounds tempting and I’m looking forward to trying them out next time I whip up a batch. As I’ve said, the best thing about baking is eating the finished product!