My madeleines, Meyer lemons work so nicely
Lemon Madeleines
(makes 12 large madeleines)
1/3 cup All Purpose Flour and 1/3 cup "Soft as Silk" brand cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
zest of two smallish lemons (Meyer lemons work wonderfully if you have some) each the size of extra large eggs
2 large eggs, room temperature, I take them from the frig and put them into a glass of hot water from the tap for a couple min.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled) I melted 7 tablespoons and poured off the clarified butter and used that. I used the milk solids on a paper towel to lubricate the madeleine molds.
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Prepare a 12-mold madeleine panby spraying with cooking spray or rubbing with the milk solids from melting the butter. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, mix the sugar and lemon zest until well combined. Add the eggs to the bowl and beat, for about 2 minutes, or until the batter is light colored, fluffy, and thick. Beat in the vanilla extract. Then fold in the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula, followed by the melted butter. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 madeleine molds. This next part I have NEVER done and don't understand why it was in the original recipe. If any one understands why you are supposed to let the batter rest for 2-3 hours or overnight, let me know. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerated for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight. Not needed. Just put the batter in the mold and bake.
When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 400°F. Remove plastic wrap and bake madeleines for 11-13 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown. Remove from pan and place on cooling racks. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving. These are best enjoyed on the day they are made, though they will keep in a sealed container (the edges will loose their crispiness, however). Enjoy!
In order to get the little bump on top of the madeleines, you're supposed to let the batter rest about 30 minutes at room temperature. I've never heard of letting it sit in a cold place 2-3 hours or overnight. Overkill, if you ask me. I always brush my pans with melted butter and sprinkle them with granulated sugar to give them a crispy crust.
Pics or it didn't happen. ;-)
All the the recipes I came across say to refrigerate the batter before turning into the pans. Apparently this is to hydrate and help retain a good form. One set of instructions even went so far as require the greased pan be kept in the freezer for an hour prior to filling. Ha, am way ahead of them, I always do that anyway!
Is there really a noticeable difference with the Meyer lemons? The batter has so much sugar in it, don't think anyone would notice the difference in sour. Hmm, guess it's worth giving it a shot, they sell Meyers close by and I'm not one to resist temptation.