Madeleines, madame?

Madeleines are shell-shaped little cakes with tiny depressions that bring a special aura to them. They're lovely tiny cakes that always make me smile. According to some stories, madeleines are named after Madeleine Paulmier, a pastry cook who worked in Lorraine in the nineteenth century. These small, feather-light, spongy cakes are eaten like a cookie. Proust loved his madeleines with tea, I love mine dipped in coffee. This recipe was baked a while ago, shortly after my adventure française to use the madeleine pans I bought in Paris.

Madeleines au Chocolat

18 unidades

100 grs dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 medium eggs, separated
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 Tbsp honey
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
icing sugar to dust

In a heatproof bowl, mix chopped chocolate with butter over a pan with boiling water. The water should not reach the bowl. Remove from the heat immediately after the chocolate melts. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar, until batter is fluffy and roughly double in volume. Mix in the chocolate mixture and honey. With a spatula fold in sifted flour. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in soft peaks. Fold in carefully. Cover with film. Refrigerate for at least an hour or (best) overnight.

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease and dust the madeleine pans, if using mettalic ones. Fill each mold almost completely full. Bake for 9 minutos or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. (Madeleines should not over bake or will get dry). Remove from oven. Cool in pan for 2 minutes. Carefully remove madeleines from pan and allow them cool completely on a rack. Sprinkle with icing sugar.