One of my Christmas presents was a Great British Bake Off calendar, so here begins another 12 months of one recipe that is pre-picked for me.
January is the turn of the shell designed sponges, madeleines, a tea time treat that is seemingly becoming quite popular. I’d never made them before so my first stop was a local cook shop to buy a madeleine baking tray. If I had taken a bit more notice of the recipe, it would have registered that I also needed a pastry brush – an essential I took for granted when I would bake in my mum’s kitchen. Luckily she lives nearby and I was able to borrow hers last minute.
The flavour of these madeleines were lemon thyme, a refreshing taste and the perfect accompaniment for my favourite cup of tea, Earl Grey. The recipe itself was simple and easy to make. Plus if you have the time, it’s worth making the mixture ahead so that it can chill in the fridge to achieve the classic ‘hump’. I didn’t do this, but between batches I did chill the mixture and from my first to my second batch, I think the difference was clear.
If you would like to give these go then the recipe is below. Happy Baking!
Lemon Thyme Madeleines, Great British Bake Off Calendar, January Recipe
Ingredients:
100g unsalted butter
125g golden caster sugar
3 medium eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon of finely chopped lemon thyme
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
90g icing sugar
2½ – 3 teaspoons of lemon juice
How to…
Grease the madeleine tray holes by brushing them with a little melted butter. Dust with flour and tip out the excess (tip – I just greased the tray using butter and a kitchen roll and sieved flour over the tray before tapping off any excess)
Melt the butter gently in a small pan and leave to cool
Put the sugar, eggs, lemon thyme and lemon zest in a large bowl and whisk with an electric mixer for 6-8 minutes until the mixture is very thick and pale. The whisk should leave a thick ribbon-like trail when lifted
Sift the flour into the bowl and gently fold in using a large metal spoon
Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture ad carefully fold in using the metal spoon until no streaks of butter remain. Be very gentle with the mixture at this stage – you don’t want to lose all the air you’ve incorporated
The mixture can be cooked straight away but to achieve the classic ‘hump’ of a traditional madeleine it’s best to chill the mixture for at least 3 hours. Alternatively you can chill the mixture in the fridge overnight before baking
Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C if using a fan assisted oven
Spoon a little mixture into each of the madeleine moulds until about two-thirds full; adjust as needed as mould sizes vary (you’ll need to make them in batches). There’s no need to spread the mixture out, it’ll do this as it bakes
Bake for 7-8 minutes or until risen and golden. The sponge should spring back when gently pressed in the middle
Stand the tray on a wire rack and leave to cool and firm up for a couple of minutes, then tip out the madeleines onto the wire rack and leave to cool
Wipe out the moulds, re-grease and flour and cook the remaining mixture in the same way
While the madeleines are still warm, make the glaze
Put 2½ teaspoons of lemon juice in a small bowl and beat in the icing sugar to make a thin paste. It should coat the back of the spoon – add the remaining lemon juice if it seems too thick
Arrange the madeleines, shell sides up, on the wire rack and place the rack over some baking paper to catch any drips
Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over the shell sides and serve within 4-5 hours
Country Cottage Bakes 