Vanilla-Almond Madeleines

Melt 10 tablespoons butter over medium heat. (Leave the remaining 2 tablespoons on the counter to come to room temperature. Set aside for the pan.) Cook butter over medium-low, stirring frequently, while it foams and bubbles. After about 5 minutes, the butter will darken and you’ll see particles on the bottom of the pan. Once these become golden or light brown, remove the pan from the heat and pour butter into a heat-proof container. Let cool.

Whisk sifted flour, salt, and baking powder together. Set aside.

Beat eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 6–8 minutes, or until thickened and pale yellow. Beat in the extracts.

Gently fold in half of the flour mixture. Fold in the butter. Add the remaining flour and fold gently until incorporated. Place bowl in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Use a pastry brush to coat the Madeleine tin cavities completely. Flour the pans, tapping out the excess.

Do not stir the batter after removing from the refrigerator. Place a heaping tablespoon of batter into each prepared cavity. Do not spread. Place in the oven and lower the temperature to 350ºF. Bake for 12 minutes or until the cookies bounce back when lightly pressed.

Remove from oven and place a wire rack upside-down on top of the pan. With oven mitts, grab the pan and cooling rack and flip, giving the pan a few good shakes. Remove the pan, and the cookies should release.

If baking in batches, return the dough to the refrigerator between batches. Wash the pan with cool water and re-butter and flour the pan.

Store cooled madeleines in an airtight container, layering with waxed paper, for several days.