It just dawned on me while lying in bed this morning, lost in my own wonders of possibilities – usually about recipe ideas and planning how to bring such dreams to life – that there is a link between my affinity for cute bite-sized eats and my Mediator personality.

Ah ahem, yes there is a reason behind my handle @ petitesweetsnz.

I’m not known for seeking the spotlight. Rather I much prefer to hide away and help others achieve quietly. Even with my creative work, you’ll see this expressed:

Rarely will you see large statement cakes that draw attention – imagine at a “bring a plate” shared lunch, you wouldn’t see my plate at the centre of attention (spotlight), I would place it close to the end and hide in a corner, watching and waiting to see you hit with the exquisitely tasty morsel, and reaching for seconds;

I prefer behind-the-scenes work, creating recipes and photos for a brand to use, rather than sharing on my own platform;

That said, I will shout to the roof tops and share something I love or discovered or if I see someone in need (small brands, I see you) and will do what I can to help them, even to the detriment of myself.

Apparently Mediators are a rare bunch (4-5% of the general population) and I’m slowly working on putting myself out there more, to connect with people in new and different ways. So, hi! My name is Michelle, nice to meet you!

❤️❤️❤️ Back to this recipe…

I took a short break from baking sweets after the LRC kitchen challenge (small bubble needing to finish allllll the desserts I made first) but then I heard “oh there’s only 2 pieces of Chocolate Biscoff Crunch left” and know it’s time to make something.

These lemon madeleines fit our mood: they are perfect for snacking on and has a CRISP chocolate shell. A tarty fruity raspberry taste. Easily changeable to dark or milk chocolate too, if that’s what you want.

Just a reminder to have some freezer space, big enough to have the Madeleine tray flat inside for 30 minutes.

Ingredients

150g butter, melted
170g caster sugar
5g (1 tsp) vanilla paste
3 eggs (180g, size 7)
zest of a lemon
150g plain flour
8g (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
a pinch of salt
180g Valrhona Raspberry Inspiration feves
40g grapeseed or olive oil

Instructions

Madeleines

In a mixer, beat the melted butter, sugar and vanilla paste until light and fluffy.
Add eggs in one at a time until combined.
Add lemon zest and mix.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a separate bowl and add to the egg mixture.
Cover the bowl with food wrap and let the batter rest in the fridge for an hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 220C.
Prepare the madeleine tray by greasing it with baking spray.
Fill each madeleine cavity with the chilled batter, about 3/4 full.
Bake for 10 minutes at 200C.
Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before transferring them to a cake rack.
Clean and dry the madeleine tray.

Chocolate shell

Place chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl and heat in the microwave at 20 second bursts, till chocolate starts to melt. Stir well and repeat heating and stiring until chocolate has completely melted and looks smooth and shiny.
Add 2 tsp of melted chocolate to each madeleine cavity and place a madeleine on the chocolate, gently coaxing the chocolate to spread and cover the base fully.
Place the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes for the chocolate to set. Remove tray from the freezer and tap on the counter top to help release the chocolate-coated madeleines from the tray.