Ingredients

Method

• 4 free-range eggs, separated
• 250 g ricotta
• 1 cup yoghurt (or buttermilk)
• 6 T butter, melted
• 1 T lemon zest
• 180 g flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1⁄2 t bicarbonate of soda
• 2 T sugar or xylitol
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a madeleine pan. If you don’t have a madeleine pan, use a muffin pan. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form, then set aside.

Combine the egg yolks, ricotta, yoghurt or buttermilk, butter, lemon zest and juice in a bowl.

Sift the remaining ingredients into the ricotta mixture and beat using a hand-mixer. Gently fold in the egg whites until combined.

Pour the batter into the greased tin until each mould is two-thirds full. (If using a muffin pan, fill 1⁄4 to halfway full so that you will have a thin “dipper” and not a muffin.)

Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly. Dust with icing sugar.

Cook's note: Those crisp-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside little cakes beloved of Proust, madeleines are even lighter and spongier if you add ricotta – a twist on the classic that’ll have you eating them by the trayful.

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