Sometimes you just want a light snack that's quick to put together and today that takes the form of a brown butter and almond madeleine! These delightful little cakes are delicately crisp on the outside but so light and fluffy inside. I could eat a whole plate to myself with a cup of coffee.
Watch how to make them below:
Yields: 8 madeleines
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 15 minutes
Oven Temperature: Preheat to 190°C, bake at 180°C
EQUIPMENT
madeleines tin
INGREDIENTS
75g butter, cubed (60g brown butter)
1 egg, medium, room temp*
60g plain flour (10% protein)
50g caster sugar
5g honey
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
½ tsp baking powder
15g almond flakes
+ extra butter and flour for lining the tin
*room temp = around 20°C
METHOD
Preheat oven
Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan oven).
Step 1
In a stainless steel or light coloured pan brown the 75g butter over a low heat, stirring frequently. The butter should go through three phases: melting, boiling and finally foaming. Once the furious popping sound has died down and the butter is a golden brown, take it off the heat immediately and pour it into a heatproof container. Set it aside to cool.
Step 2
Take your madeleine pan and brush each hole with a thin layer of softened or melted butter. Then sift over a thin layer of plain flour. Tap the pan on the worktop to knock off any excess flour and set the pan in the fridge to keep cool.
Step 3
To a large mixing bowl, sift in the dry ingredients: 60g plain flour, 50g caster sugar, and ½ tsp baking powder
Step 4
Add a lightly beaten egg to the dry ingredients along with 5g honey and 1 tsp vanilla. Gently whisk this together until everything is combined into a very thick batter.
Step 5
At this point we can add our now cooled brown butter and stir it in until smooth.
Step 6
Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a jug and take out the madeleine pan. Fill each hole around 80-90% full. Top with almond flakes.
Step 7
Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (fan oven) and bake immediately on the middle rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes.
Step 8
Allow the madeleines to cool for a couple of minutes in the pan, before turning them over. For the best experience, serve within the first hour of baking to enjoy the crisp outer texture which unfortunately will soften over time but still be really tasty.
