Are they a cookie or are they a cake?  They are actually little sponge cakes, and they are DEEEELICIOUS!!!

I have to confess; I have bought these before.  No, not in a French bakery, or any bakery for that matter.  I’ve purchased them in one of our local grocery stores and I even bought them in, gulp…Home Goods!  I know, I know, what was I thinking?!!  They tasted like individually wrapped pound cakes.  Pound cake??  Wait…didn’t I say they were little sponge cakes?!!  They are when you make them yourself:).

As we are getting through these days quarantined in our homes it can be stressful and make us anxious!  We have been praying for our friends and family, reading God’s Word, Facetiming our adorable grandchildren, taking walks, doing home workouts, playing board and card games, doing 1000-piece puzzles (and extremely difficult 500-piece puzzles!), and last, but not least, I have been baking!

As many of you know, I received a new Canon camera for Christmas.  I love taking pictures of my children and grandchildren, and food for my Instagram page and blog :).

My son recently sent me a link to Joanie Simon’s, “The Bite Shot”.  So, I have been binge watching her YouTube videos and honing up on my photo skills.  So much fun!!! What have you been doing to help get you through your days?

I know everyone doesn’t have extra baking supplies, but when you get a chance to make these, let me know by tagging me on Instagram @goodeatsbymimi.  I would love to see your pictures!

Stay safe my friends and God Bless!!

Ingredients:

•  1 stick unsalted butter (113 grams) browned and cooled
•  1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
•  1/2 teaspoon almond extract
•  Zest of 1 lemon
•  1 cup all purpose flour (120 grams)
•  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•  3/4 cup caster sugar (150 grams)
•  Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (this is optional)

Instructions: 

Place the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low once the butter has melted and continue cooking until golden brown and the solids sink to the bottom of the pan.  This takes about 8-10 minutes.  Be careful because the butter can go from browned to burnt FAST!!  Remove the browned butter from the heat and pour into a bowl (make sure to get all those brown, flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan…yum!).  Add the extracts and zest to the browned butter and set aside to cool.

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl and set aside.

Beat eggs on medium speed (using a whisk attachment).  Gradually add the sugar to the eggs while they are mixing.  Increase the speed to medium/high once all the sugar is incorporated.  Continue mixing until mixture is thick and very pale in color.  This takes about 8 minutes.

Fold in the flour mixture in three additions.  Do this gently so you don’t knock out all that beautiful air you just whipped into those eggs.  Stir this just until combined. Fold in the butter mixture until combined.

Cover batter and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  The batter will get light and fluffy as it sits.  Don’t stir the batter before you scoop it into the pan(s).

Remove batter from refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease pans with melted butter.  Place a scoop (I use a medium sized cookie scoop) of batter in the middle of each shell.  Let the batter spread on its own.

Place pan in the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until centers spring back when touched.  The cakes will have a “belly” in the center (that’s how they are supposed to look).  Place extra batter back in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake the next batch.  I only have 1 pan so I have to bake them 1 batch at a time, but if you have 2 pans, you can bake them all at once.  This batter makes approximately 24 Madeleines.

Remove from the oven and invert onto a cooling rack.  Cool slightly and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

These are best eaten right away, but they can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days, but I doubt they will last that long.

Enjoy these with a cup of coffee or tea…YUM!!!