Madeleines

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Put 100 g butter in a small saucepan and melt it over low heat, then turn off the heat and let it cool a little. The butter should be warm, not hot, or it will cook the eggs when you mix it in. It's ready when it has melted completely and the side of the pan feels only slightly warm to the touch.

   Low heat.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Put 100 g eggs, 100 g superfine sugar, 15 g honey, 2 g lemon zest and a pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk for about three minutes. This dissolves the sugar and beats a little air into the eggs, so the crumb turns out light. The mixture is ready when it turns pale yellow, thickens and is covered in tiny bubbles.

   Suggested time: about 3 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Sift 100 g all-purpose flour and 4 g baking powder into the egg mixture and stir gently with the whisk, working from the center outward. Stir just enough so the flour doesn't develop gluten, which keeps the cakes tender. The batter is ready when it's smooth with no dry streaks of flour left.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Pour the slightly cooled butter into the batter in three additions, folding gently with a spatula until each one is fully absorbed before adding the next. Adding the butter a little at a time keeps the batter even and stops the fat from separating. The batter is ready when it's glossy and flows slowly in a ribbon, like thick cream.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the batter and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. When cold batter meets a hot oven, the difference in temperature makes the center of each cake spring up into the signature hump. The batter is ready when it has firmed up and holds its shape on a spoon instead of running.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Preheat the oven to 200°C. Meanwhile, brush each cavity of the madeleine pan with softened unsalted butter (to taste), dust with all-purpose flour (to taste), then turn the pan upside down and tap out the excess. This thin coat of butter and flour helps the cakes release easily and keeps the shell ridges sharp. The pan is ready when every cavity has an even, thin white coating of flour.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Spoon the cold batter into a piping bag, snip off the tip and pipe it into each cavity until about three-quarters full; there's no need to smooth it out. Don't overfill, so the cakes have room to rise without spilling over the edges. The pan is ready when every cavity holds the same amount of batter and it slowly spreads out toward the sides.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Bake on the middle rack at 200°C for about 9 to 11 minutes. A short bake at high heat makes the humps rise quickly while the crumb stays soft and moist. The madeleines are done when the humps have puffed up tall, the edges are golden brown and the backs spring back when pressed lightly.

   Bake at 200°C for about 9 to 11 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Take the pan out, tap it gently on the counter so the cakes drop out on their own, and set them on a rack to let the steam escape. Unmolding right away keeps the shell side lightly crisp instead of steaming in the pan. They're ready when the shell side is evenly golden, the humps are round and the backs are dry.

   Mark step 9 as done