Madeleines are a classic French sweet, a delightful spongy cookie in a convenient bite size. The longer the batter is chilled, the greater the chance that you will have the signature madeleine hump. Serve warm, please.

　　

Ingredients

makes about a dozen

　　3/4 cup flour

　　Tiny pinch of salt

　　1/4 cup almonds, unblanched and finely ground, optional

　　3 eggs

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract or orange-flower water

　　5 tablespoons unsalted butter, gently melted and cooled, plus butter for the pan

　　

Step 1

Mix together the flour and salt, along with the almonds if you’re using them.

　　

Step 2

Use an electric mixer (preferably a stand mixer; this will take a while) to beat the eggs and sugar together until very thick and at least doubled in volume; the mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beater blade(s) from it. Stir in the vanilla.

　　

Step 3

Gently and gradually, fold the flour or flour-and-almond mixture into the egg-and-sugar mixture. Gently stir in the melted butter. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

　　

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Generously butter a madeleine tin. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the batter into the molds. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, until the madeleines are golden and springy to the touch. Rap the pan against the counter; the madeleines should loosen and will be easy to remove. Serve immediately; these are really best warm.

　　

Honey Madeleines

Step 5

Add 1 tablespoon honey to the egg-and-sugar mix.

　　

Lemon Madeleines

Step 6

Add the grated zest from 1 lemon along with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to the egg-and-sugar mix.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.