Lemon Almond Madeleines

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

4 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup almond flour (finely ground blanced almonds)

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Preparation

Pre heat oven to 375°F.

With about 2 tbsp additional butter, generously butter madeleine pan and put it into the freezer (mine is aluminium so it cools quickly).

Melt butter in the microwave or small saucepan. Set aside to cool.

Put about 2 tbsp of the melted butter in a frying pan and brown the almond flour (carefully, this burns quickly). Set aside to cool.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the whole eggs with the granulated sugar until the mixture is thick and pale and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted (15-20 minutes).

Beat in the almond extract and the zest.

Sift in the flour in 4 batches over the mixture, folding it in gently after each addition.

With a fork, press the browned almond flour so that it becomes mealy and doesn't lump

Fold the almond flour into the batter.

Put about 1 cup of the batter into the cooled melted buter and incorporate well.

Gently fold this butter-batter mixture into the remaining batter. and the butter.

Spoon the batter into twenty-four 3- by 2-inch cooled and buttered Madeleine molds and bake the Madeleines in the lower third of a preheated 375°F oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden.

Turn the Madeleines out on a rack, let them cool.

Once cooled, Madeleines freeze well.