Fresh lemon zest and pistachio nuts permeate these elegant little cakes, which make not only for good memories but also for lovely moments of immediate pleasure! I like to serve these either with coffee
or as a dessert, warm from the oven.
Makes about 36
Ingredients:
Butter and flour for the madeleine tins
1¾ cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
Pinch of ne sea salt
Zest of 2 lemons, minced
3 tablespoons pistachio nuts, salted and minced
4 large eggs
1 cup (200 g) vanilla sugar (Chapter Breakfast)
6 ounces (1½ sticks/180 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
Note: One of the tricks to a successful madeleine is to have the pans and the batter cold and the oven quite hot. This way the little cakes will rise in the center, creating the characteristic bump that has
become a hallmark of a good madeleine. If you don’t have enough madeleine pans to bake all the batter, simply turn out the hot baked madeleines, wipe the pans clean, rebutter them, and use the remaining batter. The batter will keep well in the refrigerator for at least 3 days, so you can easily bake these and serve them warm, on demand.
Direction:
1. Butter and generously flour three madeleine pans (each of which makes 12 madeleines). Refrigerate the prepared pans.
2. Sift the flour and salt onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Add the lemon zest and pistachios and, using your fingers, mix them into the flour mixture.
3. Place the eggs and the vanilla sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until very thick and pale yellow. Fold in the flour, then the melted butter so all the ingredients are thoroughly
incorporated.
4. Spoon a generous tablespoon of batter into each mold so it is nearly full. Refrigerate the filled madeleine pans and the remaining batter for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, chill the batter overnight,
tightly covered.
5. Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
6. Bake the madeleines just until they are puffed and your finger leaves a slight indentation in the top when touched lightly, 7 to 8 minutes. Turn them out immediately from the molds. The madeleines are best when eaten slightly warm or at room temperature the same day they are made.
