Chocolate Almond Madeleines

Melt 1 cup of the butter. Set it aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, almond meal, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat sugars and eggs on high speed until pale and very fluffy, about 6 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom to make sure there are no clumps. Sift the dry ingredients into the sugar and egg mixture in two separate batches, using the rubber spatula to fold them after each addition. Gently fold in the melted butter, vanilla extract, and honey. Cover and refrigerate the batter for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. While oven is preheating, remove batter from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Using a pastry brush, generously coat the wells of the madeleine pan with the melted butter. Fill each well about ¾ full with batter, spreading it out evenly. Transfer the pan to preheated oven and bake for 9–11 minutes. The madeleines will be puffed up in the center and should be firm, but still look moist.

Remove pan from the oven and quickly invert the pan onto the countertop to release the madeleines. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once madeleine pan is cooled, re-butter the wells and repeat with remaining batter. I usually pop mine in the freezer for a couple minutes to cool it down.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, but are best served immediately.