My sister gave me a madeleine pan for my birthday! Now I know how easy they are to make! They take a little prep but these soft, buttery sponges don't take long to bake and were perfect for a mother's day tea. Great for lunchboxes too.

Makes 20
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup or golden syrup
1/2 tsp lemon zest
115g melted butter

For chocolate madeleines: replace 2 tbsp flour with cocoa powder. Use orange zest or orange extract instead of lemon. Dust the madeleines with a mix of icing sugar and cocoa.

First grease your madeleine pan well and lightly dust with flour. Place in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
In a large bowl sift in flour, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, honey and zest,
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until there are no lumps. Gradually whisk in the melted butter until smooth.
Transfer batter into a icing bag or plastic bag, or cover bowl with plastic wrap, and place in fridge for an hour to chill.
Preheat oven to 175C. Pipe or spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each shell (about half full). Tap the tray gently on the counter to spread the mixture into the grooves. Bake for 7-9 minutes until the edges have pulled away slightly from the shell. They can overcook quickly so keep an eye out.
Let them sit in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack. Repeat until all the batter is used up.
Dust the cakes with icing sugar.