Madeleines aux Cerises Fraîches et aux Amandes
48 Madeleines – using two Madeleine baking trays
1 cup almond slices, toasted in a cast iron pan and cooled
1 ½ cup fresh cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped
13 Tbsp unsalted butter – plus 3 Tbsp more to prep the madeleine trays
2 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp almond flour, toasted in a cast iron pan and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp ground allspice
½ cup granulated sugar
Zest of one lime
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla paste
Confectioner’s sugar to finish
1) Pit the cherries, coarsely chop and set in a small strainer to drain off the excess juice. Toast the almond slices in a cast iron pan until golden and aromatic, shaking often. Pour into a small bowl to cool. Toast the almond flour in the same pan, stirring often, until slightly darkened and aromatic. Pour the toasted almond flour into a medium bowl to cool.
2) Place the 13 Tbsp of butter and 2 Tbsp of honey in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter has melted. Stir to combine, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
3) In the medium bowl with the almond flour, whisk in the flour, baking powder, ground allspice and salt. Have at the ready.
4) Place the sugar and lime zest in a food processor and process until aromatic and combined. Add the eggs and vanilla paste. Process until combined (about 20-30 seconds) Add the flour mixture and pulse a few times to combine. With the processor running, slowly pour in the cooled butter/honey. Scrape the batter into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for one hour.
5) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt the remaining 3 Tbsp of butter and use to brush the madeleines trays. Chill the buttered trays while the oven heats.
6) Fold the toasted almond slices and the drained cherries into the chilled batter.
7) Portion the batter into the individual madeleine wells – 3/4 full. Bake one tray at a time for roughly 10 minutes until the “humps” are just solid. Remove from the oven and let sit 3-5 minutes before turning the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Make sure to wipe the first pan and re-butter before baking the third tray.
8) While still warm, dust the shell-side tops of the madeleines with confectioner’s sugar.
