Cinnamon madeleines with winter caramel sauce

Delight your guests with a cinnamon twist on the usual dainty madeleine, served with aniseed flavoured caramel.

Equipment: You will need a madeleine tin.

Ingredients

For the cinnamon madeleines

• 225g/8oz butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1 vanilla pod
• 250g/9oz sugar, plus 75g/2½oz for dusting
• 250g/9oz plain flour
• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 3 free-range eggs
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon, for dusting

For the winter caramel sauce

• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 350ml/12fl oz double cream
• 1 star anise
• ½ cinnamon stick
• 25g/1oz butter

Preparation method

1. For the madeleines, preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 5 and butter the madeline tins.

2. Heat the butter until just melted.

3. Split the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds, reserving the pod.

4. Place the sugar and flour into a bowl then add the vanilla seeds, honey and eggs then whisk in the melted butter until you have a nice smooth batter.

5. Spoon the batter into the tins, only half filling each indent.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden-brown. (Depending on the size of the madeleines, small ones may take only 8-10 minutes.)

7. Mix the ground cinnamon and sugar for dusting on a plate, then roll the madeleines quickly in the sugar to coat them thoroughly.

8. For the winter caramel sauce, heat the sugar in a pan until it turns a light golden-brown. Pour in half the cream and bring to the boil, stirring well.

9. Add the star anise, cinnamon, reserved vanilla pod and butter and the rest of the cream. Cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened and smooth.

10. Strain through a fine sieve into a serving bowl.

11. Serve the madeleines with the sauce. They can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.