Madeleines are quick and easy to make sponge cakes, baked in a special tray that gives them their shell shape. Perfect when you can find a quiet 10 minutes with a mug of freshly ground coffee.

The recipe here is based on one by Eric Lanlard, which makes enough to fill the shells of our Madeleine trays. I've used some Fiori di Sicilia instead of the orange blossom water suggested, which gives the cakes plenty of citrus fragrance.

Method

Melt together the butter and honey, then leave to cool. In another bowl, mix together the sifted flour, icing sugar and baking powder. When the honey mixture is cool, stir this into the flour mixture using a dough whisk. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the Fiori di Sicilia, mixing only until evenly mixed.

Allow the mixture to rest for a short time while your oven heats to 180°C/160°C fan. Grease the Madeleine tray with a little melted butter or a very light oil. Next, divide the mixture between the 16 shells.

Bake for around 10 minutes, until the cakes are golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tray and then turn out onto a cooling rack. When completely cool, dust with icing sugar through a sieve or a dredger.