Honey and Maple Madeleines

I have been making madeleines for a long time and they are probably my favourite little cake but there is a little bit of science with them and to get the perfect madeleine (without those little holes, for example) and there are a few things you need to do to ensure a good bake.

Tips

• I have found that spraying sunflower oil on a good madeleine tin before spooning in the batter works well for me.

• Whisking the eggs and the honey/maple for 10 minutes with an electric whisk on medium speed is a must. This helps the mixture become ribbony in texture and helps to remove any air bubbles.

• A good butter is a must for a good madeleine. You’ll find that most of my recipes are dairy free but there are some recipes that really. I find the flavour is absolutely maximised when using butter over a dairy-free version but if you do not want to use butter then you can use a plant based substitute.

Ingredients

• 100g plain flour

• 2 eggs

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 100ml honey

• 50ml dark maple syrup

• 120g melted butter

Method

1. In a bowl with an electric whisk, whisk your eggs, honey and maple for 10-12 minutes. The texture should be very ribbony and silky by the time you have finished this process.

2. Melt your butter and leave to cool fully.

3. In another bowl, sieve your flour and baking powder then pour in your dry ingredients and stir slowly using a whisk and then add in your melted butter. Fold everything slowly and do not over mix the flour.

4. Place your mixture in the fridge for around 45 minutes.

5. Preheat your oven to 180C and spray your madeleine tray with sunflower oil before filling your madeleine tray.

6. Bake in the oven until golden brown. For me, this is an oven watcher job but it is usually around 8-10 minutes. I open every 3 minutes to check the progress.