Remembrance of Things Past

My daughter wanted to make cookies today and requested lemon cookies. Knowing that her favorite cookies are madeleines, I told her I had a recipe for lemon madeleines. Needless to say, she was beside herself.

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Lemon Madeleines

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans
confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

2. Put eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (I just used a regular mixer.) Mix on medium-high speed until pale and thickened, about 5 minutes. Mix in butter. Using a spatula, fold flour mixture into the egg mixture. Let batter rest 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter two madeleine pans.

4. Pour batter into prepared pans, filling the molds three-quarters full. Bake cookies, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are crisp and golden, 7-8 minutes. Let cookies cool slightly in pans on wire racks. Invert, and unmold. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.