Madeleines (French Butter Cakes)

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

Directions

• 1.

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter and flour 12 (3 inch) madeleine molds; set aside.

• 2.

  Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.

• 3.

  In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.

• 4.

  Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.

• 5.

  Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition.

• 6.

  Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.

• 7.

  Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.

• 8.

  Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.

• 9.

  Variation: Chocolate Madeleines: Omit lemon zest. Increase sugar to 1/2 cup. Substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the flour; sift into batter with flour.