Brown Butter Madeleines

Usually, it's the simplest treats that I enjoy the most.  Nondescript little seashell shaped cakes. When you bite into one of these petite, French cakes you can't help but close your eyes and smile. They are that good. You'll want to eat the batter with a spoon.  A big spoon.  But try to wait until they are baked because they get even better. Custardy, rich  golden and nutty.  Flecked with vanilla bean seeds.  They are at once light and dense.  Dunk them in your coffee or, better yet, do like Proust and dunk them in your tea.  It is easy to understand why he made such a fuss over these sweet little cakes.

Brown Butter Madeleines
makes 2 dozen
(adapted from this recipe)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter + more for greasing the pan
4 eggs, at room temperature
1/8 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
the seeds from one vanilla bean (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
3/4 cup flour + more for dusting the pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack set in the middle position.  Generously butter a madeleine pan and then dust with flour.  Set pan aside.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Continue to cook the butter until it turns brown and smells fragrant and nutty, approximately 25 minutes.  Keep a close eye on the butter as it can burn quickly.  Turn off the heat and pour the butter through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Allow the strained butter to sit and cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), beat the eggs and salt on high speed until they become quite thick and frothy, about 5 minutes.  With the mixer still on high, slowly add in the sugar.  Continue to beat for another 2 minutes.  Turn off the mixer and gently fold in the vanilla seeds or extract, using a rubber spatula.  Gently sprinkle in the flour and fold that into the mixture. Pour in the cooled butter and fold that into the mixture, being sure to incorporate everything evenly.

Transfer the batter to a liquid measuring cup and pour the batter into each madeleine mold, being sure not to over-fill.  (Molds should be about 2/3 full).  Bake for 14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove warm cakes from the pan immediately and allow to cool on a wire rack, scalloped side up. Carefully, re-butter and flour the pan and bake the second batch.

Normal sized madeleine pans hold 12 cakes.  Find your pan at a baking supply store or online.  

Fresh vanilla seed gives these treats amazing flavor.  Slice the bean in half and then run the blade of your knife down the middle to scrape out all of the seeds.  

Some people like them glazed or dusted with sugar but I like them just the way they are.