“She set out for one of those short, plump little cakes called ‘petites madeleines,’ which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim’s shell.” Marcel Proust, Remembrance of Things Past, Volume One
Madeleines. Those perfect little buttery shell cakes made by French grandmothers for the delight of hungry grandchildren since time immemorial. Crisp and golden on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, and shaped like little boats with their signature hump, they’re the perfect size for small fingers, though you’ll see them in endless variety these days in gleaming patisserie windows, from giant to mini, with a thousand enticing flavour combinations depending on the season. This is a favourite wintry version for the festive period – a simple vanilla classic with a cinnamon twist and sticky toffee for dipping Perfect for serving friends for coffee or as mini bites for baby fingers.
Madeleine recipe adapted from James Martin and toffee sauce pinched from Delia Smith as used in our Sticky Toffee Puddings
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Equipment: Madeleine tin (Available here if you haven’t yet got one).
Oven: Pre-heat oven to 170°C, gas mark 3, (325°F).
Makes: Up to 30 large madeleines
INGREDIENTS
For the madeleines:
-
- 225g (8 oz) lightly salted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 vanilla pod
- 250g (9 oz) caster sugar
- 250g (9 oz) plain flour
- 2 tbsp clear honey
- 3 large free range eggs
For dusting:
-
- 75g (2 ½ oz) icing sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Optional: 25g (1 oz) pecan nuts, crumbed using a pestle and mortar, with 2 tsp icing sugar mixed in
Toffee sauce:
-
- 175g (6 oz) light soft brown sugar
- 110g (4 oz) butter
- 175g (6 oz) double cream
- Optional: ½ tsp ground cinnamon
METHOD
For the madeleines:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 5, (325°F) and lightly grease your Madeleine tins to prevent sticking.
- Place the butter in a small saucepan on low heat until just melted and set aside to cool.
- Take the vanilla pod and slice open down the seam. Using a knife, scrape out the seeds.
- Place the sugar and flour in a medium size mixing bowl (or alternatively into the bowl of your Kitchenaid or electric mixer), then mix through the vanilla seeds, honey and eggs. Next whisk in the melted butter for a smooth batter.
- Spoon the batter into your tins, half filling each mould – you’ll grow more confident with this step the more times you make them, but in the beginning it’s a learning curve and a little trial and error working out what’s right.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Mini ones may only take 8-10 minutes or less even, so watch carefully until you’re secure about your timings for the size.
For the dusting:
Mix the icing sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow dish, then roll the madeleines in the sugar until coated thoroughly.
For the toffee sauce:
Pop all your ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan on low heat and stir now and again until the mixture is fully homogenised and the sugar crystals are dissolved. Make sure you are using soft brown sugar, not white – all sorts of bizarre things can happen with the white using this method!! It should only take about 10-15 minutes. The sauce, once cooled completely, can be put into an airtight container and will last for weeks if not months. Store in a cool, dark place.
To serve
You can either prepare your little cakes in advance by dipping each madeleine in the toffee sauce and rolling them through your pecan crumb to present prettily on a plate, or pour the toffee straight into a small bowl still hot, pop it in the middle of the table along with your pecan crumb in a dish, and let friends dip their cakes themselves. Perfect served with a cappuccino or as mini treats for little ones.
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