Fifteen Minute Madeleines with Lavender Sugar

I had my first Madeleine in February 2003 in Paris, I can’t remember the madeleine as much as the cold, but I think it was love at first bite. We have made this many times while hosting supper clubs and private dining events and Chef Gina had people eating out of her hands.

This is a fool proof recipe and I promise you you do not have to be experienced baker to pop these fresh out of the oven. From start to finish, they can really be ready in 15min!

Sprinkle of Icing Sugar will do, but if you really want to push out the boat I love them with fresh lemon curd.

Madeleine pan and food processor if making the sugar

• 80g caster sugar
• 80g plain flour
• 70g unsalted butter – melted
• 1/2 tspn baking powder
• 1 tspn vanilla essence (or 1 tspn vanilla bean paste)
• 2 eggs beaten

Icing Sugar

• 3 Lavender Flowers
• 40g icing sugar

Well greased Madeleine tin (you don’t have to grease the silicon moulds)

Preheat oven to 180c – Madeleines do not like a hot oven – they will dome if the oven is too hot.

1. Mix together the eggs, sugar and vanilla to a smooth batter
2. Add the butter and mix to a smooth batter
3. Add the flour and baking powder and mix till a smooth batter
4. Fill the moulds with batter taking care not to over fill, the batter should ‘sit’ just under the brim
5. Place the tin in the middle of the oven and bake for 12minutes till golden and set.
6. Remove and cool slightly on a wire rack
7. For the icing sugar, place the lavender flowers and icing sugar in a food processor and process till combine.
8. Once madeleines are cool, sift the icing sugar over the madeleines.

1-2-3 they are gone!

• Don’t be intimidated about the ‘madeleine pan’ it is just a pan – and make your life easy and invest in a silicone madeleine ‘pan’ although I think a well buttered metal one is better
• Don’t add hot melted butter to the cake mixture – just slightly warm or room temperature is best
• Madeleines are best eaten straight after baking as they don’t keep well and become a bit sticky

I had my first Madeleine in February 2003 in Paris. Having recently moved to London (2003), I have not really experienced the cold, being from sunny Pretoria, the only real memories I had of the cold was early winter mornings on the Netball field, brushing the frost of the grass, but by 12pm you would bask in the 22c sunshine.

Nothing could really prepare me for February in Europe. Brrr, anyway back to Paris, we were trying to get away from the cold by making lots of coffee stops. I remember one of these we received petit madeleines free with our cafe au lait. Bliss!

We have joined the AirBnB craze with a converted guest suite and cottage here in Cape Town. I am very excited at the prospect of feeding the guests and you can expect these little bundles of delight when you check in! Come and visit us here under the mountain!

(Food Memory First Published in May 2017)