Forget Clementine, I'm all about Madeleine

People can call Clementine darling, but they have not met Madeleine. This petit French cake is delectably simple with such a wonderful flavor. As Proust said, they are best eaten warm from the oven. I had, until this past Saturday, never tried a madeleine in my life. Now, I feel like I want to eat nothing but them. Go buy a madeleine baking pan and give these sweet treats a try. Hit the jump for a simple recipe via Williams-Sonoma.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. orange flower water
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) softened unsalted butter
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting 

 

DIRECTIONS

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F. Generously butter the molds of a 12-place madeleine pan. (I used a 24-place madeleine pan)

Sift together the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the egg, granulated sugar and orange flower water on medium speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture has quadrupled in volume and is very thick, about 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the flour mixture and then the butter. Spoon the batter into the prepared molds, filling each one about three-fourths full. (I piped the batter into the molds)

Bake until the madeleines are light brown around the edges and on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. (If you are using a dark, non-stick pan like I did, these will take approximately 8–10 minutes) Remove from the oven and immediately remove the madeleines from the pan to a wire rack. Using a sifter or fine-mesh sieve, dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm.

 

Makes 12 (or in my case, 24) madeleines.