This Madeleine is like a little pound cake. It is the one like Proust dipped into his cup of tea in the town of Commercy. Julia Child adapted this recipe from Le Nouveau Mémorial de la Pâtisserie et des Places, by Pierre Lacam. This method makes a hump because the batter rests an hour, allowing the butter to congeal in it, then it goes in a lump into the Madeleine cups. This recipe makes the best Madeleines I have eaten. Thank you Julia for giving us this recipe!
For 2 dozen Madeleines 3 inches long.
2 large eggs beaten with a fork in a 1 cup measure
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup flour measured by dipping into the flour and leveling off the top
1 stick (4ounces or 113.5 grams butter) for the batter
1 1/2 TB butter (total butter 5 1/4 ounces or 149 grams)
1 Tb flour in a small bowl
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
salt (a pinch if using salted butter or more, rounded 1/4 tsp, if using unsalted butter)
zest of 1/2 lemon
3 drops or a little more of lemon juice
Equipment:
2 Madeleine pans each with 12 depressions 3 inches long, a pastry brush
All ingredients should be be at room temperature. Measure most of the beaten eggs into a bowl with the sugar and flour. Beat with a wooden spoon to blend into a heavy cream. I find that I actually have to beat all the egg into the sugar and flour mixture because it is so thick for me. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile melt all of the butter in a saucepan and let it boil until it begins to brown very lightly. Blend 1 1/2 Tb of the butter into the 1 Tb of flour in the small bowl and reserve. If you have beaten egg left, mix it into the flour and sugar. The rest of the butter should be allowed to cool. While the butter is cooling, coat the wells in the pans with the flour and butter mixture, wiping up puddles if there are any. If the weather is hot, put the pans in the refrigerator. If the butter is still hot you can stir it over cool water. When the butter is cool, stir it into the flour, sugar, egg mixture. Add the salt, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cover the batter and let it sit for an hour. Preheat the oven to 375º. Use a spoon and a spatula to place a generous tablespoon lump of batter into the middle of each of the Madeleine wells. Do not spread the batter out. Bake in the middle of the oven about 15 minutes. Watch the Madeleines because they can brown quickly. My oven runs hot and they only take me about 12 minutes. When they are lightly browned around the edges and begin to shrink slightly from the cups the Madeleines are done. Unmold them on a rack, hump side up. When the Madeleines are cool wrap them airtight and freeze if they are not to be served promptly. Hint--they are tasty when eaten frozen.
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