Pistachios Madeleines

It won't be long until I will be travelling to France again for the wedding season, and I am always returning full of inspiration, whether from food or lifestyle. Something about France, particularly Normandy, has always called me. This time, I wanted to celebrate French Cuisine by baking the Madeleines, the most famous cookies. I have tried a few recipes over time, some worked better than others, but I was very happy with today's result.

There are many variations on the web, some of which very aesthetic, but I wanted to share a few tips and a rather simple recipe so that everyone can try.

Achieve the perfect dome is possible. Just follow my tip below.

One of the most beloved desserts in France, it is often eaten with coffee in the morning or at the 4 pm goûter, the French equivalent of British afternoon tea. Originally from the 18th century, it is said that originated in the Lorraine region and was then made famous by Louis XV's wife Marie, who offered them to their court.

This version of mine is filled with pistachio cream, just as a nod to my Italian heritage, but can be enjoyed as they are.

Ingredients for 12 Madeleines:

• 75 g unsalted butter - melted and cooled

• 45 g caster sugar

• 15 g preferred runny honey

• 1 large egg

• 90 g flour - protein between 10%-11%

• 3 g baking powder

• 20 g pistachio paste - optional

• milk - if necessary

Method:

1. Once you weighed all the ingredients, start by melting the butter, either on a very low heat or microwave. If you want to use burnt butter instead, weigh 95 g of butter instead and bring this to a caramel colour finish. Let the butter cool.

2. Prepare the baking tray. I used this by greasing with butter lightly dusting with flour, and setting aside.

3. In a bowl start by combining sugar, egg and honey and whisk by hand until combined. Add the flour and baking powder, sieved, and continue whisking to a thick batter. Don't worry if it feels tight, it will change when adding the melted butter,

4. Add the melted butter and fold until it reaches the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Place in a piping bag and pipe into the mould without overfilling.

5. Place the tray into the freezer to chill for a minimum of 15 minutes. Don't skip this step and if you have time, the batter can be rested in the fridge overnight instead.

6. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220 C for the first 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180 C and bake for 10 more minutes. If you have decided to fill these, let them cool completely beforehand. Before serving, dust with icing sugar.
   

Tips:

When flouring the baking tray, use a sieve and dust the flour. Remove any excess.

Don't skip the resting part, it is very important to achieve the famous dome.

Make sure to start the baking at a higher temperature. The combination of the cold batter and the very hot oven means that whilst the out layer starts baking sooner, then the inside batter will need to fight its way through the 'shell' creating the classic hump.