Last year, I posted a recipe for teacakes because I couldn't find a proper madeleine tin here in Den Haag. I even went to the chi-chi DOK kitchen shop in the Passage (definitely my fave kitchen shop in town) and asked about it: yes, they had silicone baking forms for madeleines as well as non-stick baking tins: neither of which I wanted. Not that you couldn't bake using those: I just feel like the regular tins maybe brown better -- perhaps because you have to properly prep them with butter and flour. (Or maybe it's just because I find them more aesthetically pleasing? Yes, I'm shallow.)

A few weeks ago, I was standing in the baking section at DOK with my friend Deb (who was visiting from Boston), and lo and behold, the regular metal madeleine baking tins were shining at me from a lower shelf. Yay! Deb bought me two of them as a prezzie (thanks Deb!), and I was on my way to baking proper madeleines.

Like the teacakes recipe, these have a mild orange flavor. I adjusted the recipe to add baking powder, which is far from authentic for madeleines. However, I find it easier to deal with because you are not entirely dealing with eggs for all the lift -- I don't have a ton of patience to "carefully fold" the flour into the eggs. With the baking powder, this recipe is a bit more forgiving. And trust me, you won't notice it when you are dipping a madeleine into some tea, a la Proust.

Almost classic madeleines

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces butter (170 grams), melted and cooled to room temperature
zest of one orange
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
powdered sugar (optional, for sprinkling)

1. Prepare the baking tins by buttering liberally, then sprinkling flour and tapping out the excess. Preheat oven to 450 F (220 C).
   
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
3. Combine the butter and orange zest in a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Combine the eggs, egg yolk and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat with whisk attachment for 3 minutes on medium high, until mixture is light and airy.
5. Sift the flour mixture into the egg mixture and fold in until it is all combined and there isn't any more dry flour. Spoon out about a quarter of the flour-egg mixture and stir into the butter. Pour the butter mixture back into the flour-egg mixture and fold in.
   
6. Spoon into the baking tins (each shell form should be about 3/4 full). Bake for about 8 minutes, until risen and golden brown.
7. Cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then remove madeleines and cool on a baking rack until just warm. They are delicious with tea or coffee.