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Redcurrant and Chocolate Madeleines
In June, I eagerly await the ripening of redcurrants. Wild ones grow in a woodland not far from my parents' house, and each weekend I take a walk through the woods to see how the berries are getting along. The potential harvest always looks thin until the bright berries step out of their green camouflage; glistening red, they look suddenly abundant. Picking them requires patience - some of the wild berries are tiny - but the flavour is worth every effort.
Aside from redcurrant jelly and summer pudding, it can be hard to know what to do with redcurrants. Personally I adore seeing them atop French tartlets, radiant under a fine jelly glaze, These madeleines are similarly inspired by France: one of my favourite things to do when I visit France is to go down the cake aisle in the supermarket - yes, the processed, packaged cake aisle; can't beat it. The range is always astounding and inspiring. A few years ago, I discovered chocolate-covered madeleines, the chocolate shell the same scalloped shape as the cake itself: a perfectly shaped disc backing one side of the sponge, so that when you bite into it the 'croquant' chocolate contrasts with the softness of the madeleine. My redcurrant harvest got me thinking that the berries are the perfect size for these delicate cakes. They add another contrasting texture and a sharpness that complements the dark chocolate. If you're using homegrown redcurrants rather than wild ones (which are typically smaller), you may need to slice them in half, into a more delicate size. Use good quality dark chocolate.
Makes 18 madeleines
Ingredients
1. Mix the icing sugar, baking powder and lemon zest together in a bowl. Pour the beaten eggs over the top and mix briefly using a hand whisk (not an electric one).
In June, I eagerly await the ripening of redcurrants. Wild ones grow in a woodland not far from my parents' house, and each weekend I take a walk through the woods to see how the berries are getting along. The potential harvest always looks thin until the bright berries step out of their green camouflage; glistening red, they look suddenly abundant. Picking them requires patience - some of the wild berries are tiny - but the flavour is worth every effort.
Aside from redcurrant jelly and summer pudding, it can be hard to know what to do with redcurrants. Personally I adore seeing them atop French tartlets, radiant under a fine jelly glaze, These madeleines are similarly inspired by France: one of my favourite things to do when I visit France is to go down the cake aisle in the supermarket - yes, the processed, packaged cake aisle; can't beat it. The range is always astounding and inspiring. A few years ago, I discovered chocolate-covered madeleines, the chocolate shell the same scalloped shape as the cake itself: a perfectly shaped disc backing one side of the sponge, so that when you bite into it the 'croquant' chocolate contrasts with the softness of the madeleine. My redcurrant harvest got me thinking that the berries are the perfect size for these delicate cakes. They add another contrasting texture and a sharpness that complements the dark chocolate. If you're using homegrown redcurrants rather than wild ones (which are typically smaller), you may need to slice them in half, into a more delicate size. Use good quality dark chocolate.
Makes 18 madeleines
Ingredients
- 100g icing sugar, sifted
- 5g baking powder
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 120g eggs, beaten (about 3 medium sized eggs)
- 100g plain flour, sifted
- 100g melted butter
- 80g small redcurrants, washed (if they're on the large side, cut them at least in half)
- 300g good quality dark chocolate, broken into equally sized pieces
- Standard madeleine tin, greased with butter
1. Mix the icing sugar, baking powder and lemon zest together in a bowl. Pour the beaten eggs over the top and mix briefly using a hand whisk (not an electric one).
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2. Add the flour and melted butter, and whisk together until a gloopy mixture forms. Cover it with cling film (let the cling film rest directly on the top of the mixture, to prevent a skin forming) and leave it in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
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3. When you're ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 240 degrees fan. Grease the madeleine tin with room temperature butter. Remove the mixture from the fridge and add the redcurrants. Mix gently and then fill each madeleine with one heaped teaspoon of mixture. Don't overfill (see picture below for an idea of quantity).
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4. Place the madeleine tin onto a baking tray, and then slide both into the oven. As soon as they are in the oven, turn the temperature down to 180°C (fan). Bake for about 12 minutes until golden.
5. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave (if using a microwave, stop and stir the mixture every 30 seconds). Let the chocolate thicken slightly by leaving it to cool a little at room temperature.
6. Remove the madeleines from the oven, use a palette knife to release them immediately from their moulds, and then transfer them to a cooling tray.
7. Wash the madeleine tray and then fill each mould with two teaspoons of melted chocolate (any less than this and the chocolate won't be sufficiently thick and could break when you try to release them from the mould). Use a pastry brush to spread the chocolate over the whole surface of the mould. Press a cake, scallop-pattern side down, into the chocolate until contact is made. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave (if using a microwave, stop and stir the mixture every 30 seconds). Let the chocolate thicken slightly by leaving it to cool a little at room temperature.
6. Remove the madeleines from the oven, use a palette knife to release them immediately from their moulds, and then transfer them to a cooling tray.
7. Wash the madeleine tray and then fill each mould with two teaspoons of melted chocolate (any less than this and the chocolate won't be sufficiently thick and could break when you try to release them from the mould). Use a pastry brush to spread the chocolate over the whole surface of the mould. Press a cake, scallop-pattern side down, into the chocolate until contact is made. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
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8. Release the madeleines from the mould by using a blunt knife at one end to ease between the chocolate and the tin. Do the same at the other end. The cake should pop out, due to the temperature of the chocolate. Best enjoyed on the day of baking.
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