Buttery, light, and not overly sweet, madeleines are easy to make. They’re best served fresh out of the oven, simply dusted with confectioners’ sugar and cocoa before being gobbled up. For a dinner party, you might want to serve the madeleines with a bowl of warm ganache for dipping like fondue.
Prepare the madeleine pans by thoroughly buttering each well. Lightly dust with flour or cocoa and tap out any excess. Place the prepared pans in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the batter: Place a large sifter over a mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa and sift them into the bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, honey, zest, and juice. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain. Add the melted butter and whisk until smooth. Cover the bowl and chill the batter for 1 hour.
To bake: Fill each well of the madeleine pan with 1 level tablespoon of batter. Once filled, tap the pan on the counter to encourage the batter into the grooves.
Bake for 8 minutes for a light-colored pan, or 6 minutes for a dark-colored pan, until the edges just begin to pull away from the pan and you smell chocolate. Be careful not to overbake.
Remove the madeleines from the oven and let them cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Gently nudge out of the pan with a dull knife or offset spatula (don’t let them sit in the pan for too long or they’ll stick). Return to the rack to finish cooling. Repeat the process using any remaining batter.
To make the topping: Sift the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa together; use the mixture to dust the tops of the madeleines before serving.
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