This recipe is a fine example of how melted butter can be substituted in many recipes with high quality cooking oils.  These madeleines are a great showcase of sweet and savoury flavours working well in harmony. If you’re not immediately convinced, I implore you to try, I promise your mind will be changed!

RECIPE: (This recipe makes 12 Madeleines)

MADELEINE BATTER  

• 60g OLIVE OIL

• 2 FRESH BAY LEAF

• RIND OF 1 LEMON

• 100g CASTER SUGAR

• 85g PLAIN FLOUR

• 2g FINE SALT

• 1 Tsp BAKING POWDER

• 1 LARGE EGG

• 1 LARGE EGG YOLK

LEMON AND OLIVE OIL ICING

• JUICE OF 1 LEMON (Remember that lemon you removed the rind off earlier? Yep, that one. Yay no wastage!)

• 15ml OLIVE OIL

• 200-250g ICING SUGAR

BEFORE YOU START…

• Preheat your oven to 190c (Fan Oven- 195c for other, less powerful ovens)

• Set aside your Madeleine tray (What, I need a madeleine tray!? Why did no one tell meeee.)

METHODS…

FOR THE MADELINE BATTER…

For a punch of flavour infuse your oil by heating together the oil, bay leaves, and lemon rind until you can start to smell the citrus. Cover for 15 minutes before removing the bay leaf and lemon. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl by hand. Whisk together the eggs and combine with the dry ingredients. Finish the batter by mixing through the infused olive oil. Leave your batter to rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Pipe into your prepared trays and bake for 9-10 minutes until golden and risen. Leave to cool before drizzling with the icing.

FOR THE LEMON AND OLIVE OIL ICING…

Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until you have a thick paste- you may need to add more sugar or liquid to get to the right consistency(You are looking for the texture of thick cream so that when coated the madeleine sponge is not visible).

TO SERVE: Drizzle or dip your cooled madeleines with the icing and serve. Best eaten on the day, as soon as they’ll cooled and dipped in icing sugar, no messing around.