french butter cakes (madeleines)

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

Recipe

• preheat oven to 375 degrees f (190 degrees c). butter and flour 12 (3 inch) madeleine molds; set aside.
• melt butter and let cool to room temperature.
• in a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.
• beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.
• sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition.
• add lemon zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. quickly but gently fold butter into batter. spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.
• bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
• use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert rack. immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.
• variation: chocolate madeleines: omit lemon zest. increase sugar to 1/2 cup. substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the flour; sift into batter with flour.