Do you know what my favorite pastry is? Madeleines!! While these spongey mini cakes are TINY in stature, the flavors inside of them are phenomenal. I used to buy those madeleines from Costco, for years. Not kidding. Literally – YEARS! Let’s be real – these are irresistible, as Matty found out when we went to Costco & he bit into a madeleine. I wanted to buy a box, but he gave me a challenge – to make my own. I was SO SADDDD at the thought of No Madeleines, but NOW I have the answer to creating these delectable little devils from your own kitchen! And I can have as many as I want on the daily, because they are way TOO easy (dangerously easy) to make …

Traditionally, madeleines have a distinctive shell-like shape because of the pans they are baked in – with shell-shaped depressions. BUT you can achieve the same flavor and yumminess with cupcake liners and/or cupcake tins!

These ingredients and instructions yield 24 servings.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 1 /2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose  flour
• 2 tsbp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray the madeleine molds or the cupcake tins with nonstick spray OR you can butter them and flour them lightly. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter & let it cool to room temperature.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, and salt.
5. WHILE still beating, slowly add the sugar. Beat for about 5-8 minutes until the mixture is thick & pale. Ribbons should form in the bowl when you stop beating.
6. Sift flour into the mixture a little at a time, and fold in the flour.
7. Add the lemon zest and fold it in.
8. Pour the melted butter and gently fold it in!
9. Spoon the batter into the molds/tins. Fill the madeleine molds to just the top of the tin. If using the cupcake tins, fill in 2/3 of the cavity. 
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cakes are golden. The tops of the madeleines should spring back when you gently press it with your fingertip.
11. Let cool.

Madeleines are the BEST when you eat it right after it comes out of the oven, but leftover madeleines are also pretty yummy too, especially dunked into your favorite cup of coffee!