Madeleine de Commercy

Make the beurre noisette: melt the 150 g butter in a light-coloured saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids turn deep golden and smell of toasted hazelnuts, about 5–7 minutes. Pour immediately into a bowl through a fine sieve and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Whisk the eggs and caster sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is pale, thick, and falls from the whisk in a wide ribbon, about 3–4 minutes of vigorous whisking.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt directly over the egg mixture, then fold in gently with a spatula until just combined — stop the moment no dry streaks remain.

Add the cooled beurre noisette, vanilla extract, milk, and lemon zest, then fold again until the batter is smooth and glossy. Cover the bowl tightly with cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or ideally overnight up to 12 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200°C, or 180°C for a fan oven, or 400°F. Brush a 12-shell madeleine tin generously with softened butter, dust lightly with flour, and tap out the excess.

Spoon or pipe the cold batter into the prepared moulds, filling each shell to about three-quarters full — do not spread or press.

Bake on the middle shelf until the edges are deep golden and the characteristic hump has risen and set in the centre, about 11–12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 2 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Serve warm, shell-side up, within an hour of baking for the best crumb and fragrance.