English Madeleines

Serves 12

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Cooling time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
150g butter, softened plus extra for greasing 
150g caster sugar  
150g self-raising flour  
1 tsp baking powder  
3 eggs  
1 tsp vanilla bean paste  
100g cherry jam  
75g desiccated coconut  
6 glacé cherries, halved 

Equipment needed 
12 hole English madeleine mould 

Method
Preheat the oven to 180c and butter the madeleine mould. 

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the flour, baking powder, eggs and vanilla bean paste and mix until well combined. 

Divide the mixture between the 12 holes equally but so that they are only ½-3/4 full. Put into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer comes out clean. 

Once the cakes are cooked, allow to cool in the mould for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, very carefully run a knife around the edges of each hole, tease out the cakes and transfer to a cooling rack, turning them upside down on the rack so the widest point of the madeleine is at the bottom. 

Heat the jam in the microwave, sieve to remove the cherries.  After 10 minutes the cakes should be cool enough to handle.  The bottoms need to be flat so if they are not, trim them so they are. 

Brush the jam over the top and sides of the sponges (or spread with a knife if you do not have a brush).  Dip the top and roll the sides in the desiccated coconut.  Top each cake with half a glacé cherry to finish.