Anise, Ginger and Lemon Madeleines with Lemon Glaze

The Spice House challenge has been one of my favorites to date mainly due to the fact that I love playing with flavors and wholeheartedly admit I am a spice-aholic.

I recently came across a perfect madeleine recipe from Annie Rigg’s Summer Berries & Autumn Fruits book that I adapted to make these. Now that I have found a great recipe, I will be experimenting more with flavors. These little cakes are absolutely perfect! I hope you try them.

Anise, Ginger and Lemon Madeleines with Lemon Glaze
by Jenny Blogging at The Cookbook Junkies
Makes about 20

For the madeleine:
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of The Spice House China "Number One" Ginger Powder
1/4 teaspoon of The Spice House Spanish Anise, ground
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
The zest of one lemon

For glaze:
The juice of one lemon
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Dash of ginger or anise

Melt the butter and using a pastry brush, thoroughly butter the cavities of two 12-count madeleine pans. After you have buttered the cavities, dust with a little flour, tap out the excess, then place in the refrigerator while you prepare the batter.

Sift the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and anise together in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and salt for about five minutes until thick and doubled in volume. Add the zest and mix.

Using a large metal spoon and a figure-eight motion, fold in the sifted dry ingredients into the egg and sugar mixture. Carefully pour the melted butter around the edges of the bowl and fold in. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375°F.

Drop a rounded tablespoon of batter into the middle of each madeleine cavity and spread to fill. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 12 minutes until risen and golden.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Whisk together the lemon juice, dash of spice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. You may have to adjust the amount of sugar or liquid to get the right consistency.

Pop the madeleines onto a wire rack, let cool for a couple of minutes, and then carefully dip the grooved top of the madeleine into the glaze or if you like, carefully dip the entire madeleine into the glaze.