Authentic Madeleines Recipe Commercy, France

There are not so many recipes that earned their place in the history of fine literature the way that did madeleines, a modest but nonetheless sophisticated dessert that evoked a wave of memories in Marcel Proust’s 1913 classic, In Search of Lost Time. Madeleine cakes come in the form of a seashell, are rather easy to make, and are usually served in the afternoon during tea-time. The traditional base for madeleines is génoise cake batter, characteristic of using whole eggs instead of separating egg whites from egg yolks. Most recipes include adding the lemon zest to accentuate the buttery taste, and older versions include adding rum, orange-flower infusion, and finely ground almonds to the mixture. The only piece of equipment needed for madeleines is a special mold which usually holds 12 openings, and the preparation time is up to 30 minutes — perfect when unannounced guests arrive.