Recipe: Rachel Khoo's Raspberry and lemon curd madeleines

Madeleines are those very cute little shell shaped sponge cakes that originate from the East of France. They're the perfect treat with a cuppa and are one of my childhood's favourite.



A few months ago I found a mini madeleine silicon tin in Dublin but wasn't very happy with the results when I was using it, the madeleines were too tiny. Last week while I was out shopping with a friend I found a big madeleine tin for just €7 in TK Maxx and I swear it felt like I'd found the Holy grail, really.

Now, what did I bake you wonder? I made some raspberry and lemon curd madeleines from Rachel Khoo's cookbook 'The Little Paris Kitchen'. I love the way this English woman gives her little twist to French food and I'm a total fan of her blog, cookbooks, cooking show as well as her fashion style.

The recipe below was given to Rachel by her friend Frankie Unsworth who she studied with in Le Cordon Bleu cookery school in Paris. It's such a lovely addition to traditional madeleines, easy to make and very moreish. So, it's time to French up your afternoon tea and to get baking those madeleines, don't you think? Allez!

Rachel Khoo's Raspberry and lemon curd madeleines


Ingredients for the madeleines:
3 eggs
130g sugar
200g plain flour
1 tbs baking powder
The zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp honey
60ml milk
200g melted butter
A punnet of raspberries
A little icing sugar for dusting

Ingredients for the lemon curd:
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
A pinch of salt
40g sugar
45g butter
2 egg yolks

Recipe: 
Beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and frothy
In a separate bowl put the flour, baking powder and lemon zest
Mix the honey, milk and melted cooled butter and then add to the eggs
Slowly fold in the flour in 2 batches.
Cover and leave in the fridge for a few hours

Put the lemon zest, juice, salt, sugar and butter into a small saucepan on a low heat
Remove from the heat when melted
Whisk the egg yolks, add them to the pan and whisk while returning the pan to low heat
Keep whisking until the curd starts to thicken (to avoid the egg from curdling)
Remove from the pan when the curd is thicker
Sieve into a bowl and keep in the fridge for a few hours

When you want to bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 190C
Butter and flour a madeleine tin
Put the lemon curd into a piping bag (small nozzle)
Put one tablespoon of batter into each madeleine shell and press a raspberry into the batter (leave the hole in the raspberry facing up)
Bake for 5 minutes at 190C
Turn off the oven for 1 minute
Turn the oven back on at 160C for 5 minutes
Transfer the madeleines to a rack to let them cool
Repeat the baking process until your batter is used up
Pipe the lemon curd into the raspberry in the baked madeleines

Dust with icing sugar and enjoy your madeleines with a lovely cup a tea!