TWD: Traditional Madeleines

The recipe for this week is a great choice as I love madeleines and most importantly, I've finally get to use the madeleine pan that I bought many months ago!

I had so much fun baking madeleines that I made the lavender and honey version right after the first batch, it is a recipe that can be found under "Playing Around" section of Earl Grey Madeleines in page 169.


Don't forget to check out the entries from the other participants here!

Traditional Madeleines
(Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup plain flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Method:
1) Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2) In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
3) Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
4) With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. 5) Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines.
6) GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
7) Grease 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. (Omit the flour if you are using a nonstick pan)
8) Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet. Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don’t worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven’s heat will take care of that.
8) Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched.
9) Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. 10) Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature
11) Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners’ sugar.
Makes 12 large or 36 mini cookies