Citrus-Glazed Madeleines…

I must say, I’m a sucker for these gorgeous little cakes. Their fine texture and scalloped edges are just so feminine.

They make me wanna have a tea party. You know, like the ones we used to have when we were little girls? We’d get all dressed up in our mother’s old over-sized dresses, fill up the empty seats with dolls, and have ‘tea’ and ‘cake’ like we were the ladies of the house, discussing the weather and other pretend important matters.

Back when life was simple and imaginations ran wild.

*sigh* I’m getting all nostalgic feeling old.

If you think about it, there are a few things that haven’t changed much over the years. Only now the cakes we swoon over are real. And so are the conversations.

Once childhood friendships, forced together by birth or our mothers, have grown into real and meaningful relationships. And even though life is a lot more complicated, I wouldn’t go back.

I love you guys… you know who you are. Here are some madeleines, just for you.

Citrus-Glazed Madeleines:    (Originally by David Lebovitz)

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar

• 1/8 tsp. salt

• 1 1/4 cup (175g) flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• zest of one small lemon

• 9 tbsp. (120g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus additional melted butter for preparing the molds

• 3/4 cup (150g) powdered (icing) sugar

• 1 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice

• 1 tbsp. freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice

• 1 tbsp. freshly-squeezed orange juice

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F.

Melt the butter and use some to brush the madeleine mold. Dust with flour and tip out any excess. Place the mold in the fridge or freezer to chill.

Beat the eggs with the sugar and salt until pale and thick, about 5 minutes.

Sift together the flour and baking powder and fold into the egg mixture.

Mix the lemon zest into the cooled butter and slowly add to the mixture, a few spoonfuls at a time, folding in.

At this point you can cover the bowl and chill the mixture for about an hour. (I skipped out this step and they turned out fine)

Use two spoons to fill the holes to 3/4 full, do not spread the batter around in the tin.

Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cakes spring back when you press down lightly on the tops with your fingertips.

While the cakes are in the oven, make the glaze by mixing together the (sifted) powdered sugar and citrus juices until smooth.

Remove them from the oven and tip them out onto a cooling rack. The moment they’re cool enough to handle, dip each cake into the glaze, turning them over to make sure both sides are coated and scrape off any excess. Leave to set.

They’re best eaten on the day, but will keep for two days or so, stored in an airtight container.