Classic French Madeleine Cookie Recipe

Here is my recipe, straight from some French family friends. Once you get the hang of this simple recipe, you can have fresh, delicious madeleine cookies in 30 minutes (sooner if you're good with a whisk).

Preheat oven to "mi four" (you know, the middle temperature! I use 375F)
2 large organic, free-range eggs
150 grams of organic flour (perhaps 2/3 cup)
150 grams of organic sugar (perhaps a little less than 1/2 cup)
pinch of salt
vanilla, or lemon zest
one stick of organic butter, melted

Whisk the eggs together with the sugar until the mixture is thick, foamy and light in color. This is called a pâte blanche .

Mix in your vanilla (or lemon zest) and salt.

Stir in the flour and the melted butter. You don't want to activate the gluten, so stir as little as necessary to combine the flour, butter and the pâte blanche.

Pour (or scoop, but pouring from the bowl with the aid of a rubber spatula is faster) in to a buttered and flour-dusted madeleine mould, and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the tops caramelize to a light golden color.

Pop them out of the pan carefully, then dust with powdered sugar, dip half of each in chocolate, or eat them just as they are with some piping hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Enjoy!