Orange Cardamom Madeleines
These delicate, shell-shaped beauties are redolent with orange and spiced with cardamom. Perfect with tea.
Servings 16 madeleines
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tbsp for pan
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
- 1 tbsp honey
- Zest of 1 orange
- Confectioners sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Brush molds of a madeleine pan with melted butter and put in freezer.
- Brown the butter by melting in a light-colored pan over medium heat. Stir frequently as it bubbles and boils, including scraping the bottom of the pan. Allow to simmer until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heatproof bowl to cool. Set aside.
- Whisk sifted flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Mix eggs and sugar on high speed with a hand mixer, 6 to 8 minutes, until thick and frothy. Mix in vanilla and almond (if using) extracts. (You can use a stand mixer if preferred.)
- Gently fold flour mixture by thirds into egg/sugar mixture until combined, keeping as much air as possible in the batter.
- Add the honey and orange zest to the cooled melted butter and mix until incorporated. Drizzle butter mixture into batter a spoonful or two at a time and gently fold in. Mix just until butter is incorporated.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan, about 1 tablespoon in the center of each mold. There's no need to spread out the batter but do tap pan on the counter to eliminate any bubbles. Chill batter in the pan for another hour.
- Preheat oven to 375° F, with a baking sheet in the top third of the oven.*
- Slide chilled, filled madeleine pan onto hot baking sheet and bake until cookies are puffed up and edges are golden, 8 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for a minute then turn out onto parchment on the counter. Transfer madeleines to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar (optional).
Notes
*To get a browner finish and crisp up the madeleine shells more, bake at 400°F for 8 to 9 minutes.