Orange sugar-dusted madeleines

Generally, I don't like to post anything here that requires special equipment but in all other respects this recipe fits my overall philosophy of baking: simple things that satisfy. Though I'd been curious about madeleines for some time, I didn't have a tin, and didn't particularly want to acquire a new piece of kitchen equipment that only had one purpose. But a recipe from Julia Busuttil-Nishimura's new cookbook Good Cooking Everyday pushed me over the edge... or more accurately, to purchase a madeleine tin. The idea of sweet, shell-shaped cakes eaten warm from the oven was irresistible. All the more more given they were infused with orange, a favourite flavour of mine, as the recipe index of this blog can attest. 

The brilliance of madeleines is that you make the batter ahead of time - the night before even - and they cook in a speedy 12 minutes. All you do once they're baked is tip them out of the tin and roll them in sugar. They're extremely low effort but high impact in terms of presentation and, most importantly, flavour. The real test of a new piece of kitchen equipment is whether or not you'll use it regularly, and in this case, I'm happy to report: unreservedly, yes.

Orange sugar-dusted madeleines

Adapted from a recipe by Julia Busuttil-Nishimura, as published in Broadsheet 

I was skeptical about a mixture that used a rising agent yet sat - refrigerated - for so long before baking but I can report the cakes came out perfectly, with the prettiest of little domes.

3 eggs

80g (1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

40g honey

Finely grated zest of one orange

1 tsp orange blossom water

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g self-raising flour

good pinch of salt

150g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing

orange sugar

finely grated zest of one orange

80g caster (superfine) sugar

Whisk the eggs, caster sugar and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer for 8-10 minutes or until voluminous and pale. Stir in orange zest, orange blossom water and vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt - taking care not to overmix - and finally the melted butter. Cover and place mixture in fridge for 45-60 minutes or even overnight.

For orange sugar: in a bowl, rub the orange zest into the caster sugar until the mixture is damp and fragrant. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Brush a madeleine tin with the extra melted butter, then spoon about one tablespoon of batter into each mould. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the madeleines have risen and and are lightly golden. Remove from the tin, roll in orange sugar and eat warm.