Dessert is actually the trickiest of all dishes. At the end of the meal, your guests are usually not really hungry – and yet dessert is the last thing they will remember. And, after all the salty dishes and full-bodied flavours, you’re often in the mood for a fine, sweet little something to balance everything out. Madeleines are perfectly suited for that! The light and airy pastry can be enhanced with fresh lemon, lime or orange peel. A dash of orange flower water or rose water gives a lovely aroma; they can also be flavoured with matcha or cocoa powder. The recipe is easily explained: mix 125g sugar with 110g flour, ½ tbsp. of baking powder and a dash of salt. Melt 110g of butter, let it cool for a bit, then stir in 2 eggs. Together with the grated lemon peel (or other aromas), add to the remaining ingredients and fill into a piping bag. Butter and flour the baking sheet (so that nothing sticks) and fill it up to ¾ with the mass. Bake for 5 to 7 min in a 200 °C oven until the madeleines have been baked fluffy. While they’re still warm, turn them directly out onto a clean serviette and sprinkle powdered sugar over them. That’s how easy it is to fire off the little grande finale at the table with madeleines.
