LEMON THYME MADELINES

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake:

• 2 cups (500ml) cake flour
• 1 tsp (5ml) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2.5ml) salt
• ¼ cup (60ml) lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) thyme leave, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250ml) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp (10ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups (500ml) sugar
• 6 eggs

For the Lemon Syrup:

• ¼ cup (60ml) water
• ¼ cup (60ml) sugar
• ½ cup (125ml) fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup (60ml) thyme leaves, finely chopped (divided)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 (163C). Generously grease the madeleine pan with butter and flour, knocking out excess flour.

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, zest, and thyme.

In another bowl with an electric mixer, beat together butter, lemon juice, and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and add flour mixture, beating until just combined.

Spoon some of batter into prepared madeleine molds and with a spatula smooth surfaces, scraping back and forth over molds and returning excess batter to bowl. (This will eliminate any air pockets and ensure that molds are not overfilled.) Wipe excess batter from edges of pan.

Bake madeleines in middle of oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are browned and tops are golden. Loosen edges and transfer madeleines to a cooling rack set over a baking tray. Bake more madeleines in the pan, cleaned, buttered, and floured, with remaining batter in same manner.

For the Lemon Syrup

While first batch of madeleines are baking, in a small saucepan bring water, sugar, lemon juice and half of the thyme leaves to a boil, stirring, and remove from heat.

Brush warm madeleines with some of hot syrup, sprinkle with fresh thyme. Repeat with remaining madeleines as they are baked, keeping syrup warm.