Classic French Madeleines

When I lived in Antibes, France for a semester, we used to eat these cheap individually packaged Madeleines bought from the local Carrefour. On the other hand, the real Madeleine is a sensational melt-in-your-mouth treat. Plus, you can make the batter ahead of time and bake a la minute to impress your guests.

Inspired by Mimi Thorisson's cookbook, A Kitchen in France, I decided to tackle the French Madeleine and to try different recipes until I found the perfect one.

I tried the one in her cookbook and found them dense, tricky to handle, and a little too sweet.  The following weekend, I tried pastry expert David Leibovitz's recipe next. The edges were crispy and the flavor was nice but they lacked the signature hump on the back.

A few days later, Bon Appetit - one of my favorite magazines - fortuitously posted Chef Daniel Boulud's classic Madeleine recipe on their Facebook. His version of these butter cakes came out light as air and perfectly browned. For me, this recipe is a winner.

Recipe after the jump.