Chocolate & Lemon Madeleines

Ingredients:

70 gm. Plain flour
3 1/2 Tbsp. Cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona
1/2 tsp. double-acting baking powder
90 gm. sugar
pinch of salt
grated zest of 1/4 lemon
2 large eggs - at room temperature
100 gm. unsalted butter - at room temperature

Method:

(1) Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Set aside.
(2) Put salt, sugar and lemon zest into a bow and rub everything together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic.
(3) Whisk eggs into the lemon-sugar until the mixture is blended.
(4) Still whisking, beat in the butter just to get it evenly mixed.
(5) Gently whisk in the sifted flour, stirring only until the flour is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Rest the mixture in the fridge at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.
(6) Butter a 12-mould madeleine pan, then dust the moulds with flour, tapping out the excess.
(7) Divide the batter evenly among the madeleine moulds.
(8) Bake at 180C for 15 mins. until they are domed and spring back when pressed lightly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

**recipe adapted from the book: CHOCOLATE DESSERTS BY PIERRE HERME