French author Marcel Proust described the sensation of eating a madeleine and feeling a rush of childhood memories in his famous work À la recherche du temps perdu. More than a hundred years later, the French still say "la madeleine de Proust" to describe an ordinary object or food that powerfully evokes memories.
Classic French Madeleines
The Story
A trip back to memory lane
Classic French Madeleines
Madeleines are very popular in France and can be found in most boulangeries. They are truly irresistible and typically enjoyed dunked in coffee in the morning, or for afternoon tea. In order to achieve a classic trademark “hump” of a French madeleine, you must refrigerate the batter before baking. It makes all the difference and will give you a great sense of success!
Visit www.preppedfresh.com.au or follow us on insta @preppedfresh_au for more French-infuenced recipes.
https://preppedfresh.com.au/
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 2 large Eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Lemon or orange zest
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Plain flour (sifted)
- 1 tsp Plain flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter in the microwave, grease the tray, and set the rest aside to cool as you prepare the batter.
- Beat the eggs and sugar together at high speed for at least 8 minutes. The mixture will be thick, pale, and form ribbons. Add zest and vanilla.
- Mix dry ingredients and fold them into the egg mixture gently, until just combined.
- Stir 1/4 cup of the batter into the melted butter. It will take a minute to fully incorporate. Then stir it all into the rest of the batter until silky, and shiny.
- Cover the batter and chill in the fridge for at least 1h. This is key to get the classic “hump” of a Madeleine. During the last few minutes of chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Spoon 1 tbsp of batter into each mold. It will spread out by itself and keep a uniform shape when cooking.
- Bake 8-9 mins until slightly golden around edges and the humps look set. Once cooled, remove from the tray and dust with powdered sugar and serve!
