Method
Lovers of French literature will know that, upon biting into a madeleine, the narrator of Marcel Proust’s A La Recherche du Temps Perdu has a memory so intense that it fills most of the rest of the 4000-page novel. You can inspire Proustian moments in your own children, by baking these delicious lemon madeleines – the perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea.
- Prepare and weigh all the ingredients before you start.
- Use a silicone madeleine tray, or if using a metal tray lightly butter and flour the tray. Ensure the scallop-shaped grooves are still prominent and not over-filled with butter and flour.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C
- Beat the egg in a large bowl then whisk in the sugar and milk until well combined.
- Whisk in the flour and baking powder until just smooth.
- Whisk in the melted butter and add the lemon zest
- Fit a piping bag with a 8mm or so, plain round nozzle. A smaller nozzle will help you control this relatively loose mix. Half fill each scallop-shaped mould.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the madeleine is golden brown and springs back to touch.
Ingredients
70g Whole Egg
75g Caster Sugar
25g Milk
90g Plain Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
100g Butter
Zest of 1 Lemon
Tim’s Top Tip
This mix can be prepared well in advance. Fill the piping bag with the finished mix and store in a fridge until you need it. Then just pipe into moulds and bake for immediate freshly baked cake goodness. For extra lemon zing pipe some fresh lemon curd into the centre of each madeleine immediately as they come out of the oven. Just fill a piping bag with the curd and push the nozzle into the centre of each cake.
