Ingredients

Salted Caramel Sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, divided
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• Scraped seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt (such as fleur de sea flakes or another smooth-tasting sea salt)
Madeleines
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest (about 1/2 orange)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature (plus more for butter the madeleine pan)

Method

Salted Caramel Sauce
1. Add the water and sugar to a medium stainless steel saucepan. (I used a copper one, it cooks sugar much faster and easier.) Set pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar fully melts. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it roll, gently swirling the pan from time to time, until the sugar turns to a beautiful amber color. Remove the heat and then whisk in 1/4 cup of the cream. (Be careful as the mixture will release hot steam and bubble up significantly.) Return pan to the heat and bring back to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk in the butter, vanilla, and salt, then stir in the remaining cream. Cook for 2 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass jar. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight jar for up to 1 week. Rewarm before serving.
Madeleines
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together for 3 minutes, or until the eggs are pale and fluffy. Mix in the zest and vanilla. With the mixer running at slow speed, drizzle the butter unto the batter, mixing just to incorporate. Using a spatula, add the reserved dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time, folding between each addition until just incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or up to overnight. *I usually like to transfer my madeleine batter to a clean container with a tight-fitting lid and age it overnight the flour and moisture fully saturate and for the flavours to develop.
4. Preheat oven tp 400 F. Brush a madeleine mold with butter, making sure the butter gets into every nook and cranny. Sprinkle the pan with flour and shake off the excess. (A small sieve would be handy for this.) Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.
5. Take the prepared madeleine mold out of the freezer. Take the batter out of the refrigerator. Using a spatula, gently mix the batter to relax it and remove the excess bubbles that may have formed while resting. Fill each shell-shaped cavity with about 2 heaping teaspoons of batter for regular madeleines, or a scant 1 teaspoon for mini madeleines (the cavities should be about 2/3 full). Return the remaining batter to the refrigerator.
6. Bake the regular madeleines for 12 minutes or mini madeleines for 8 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Unmold as soon as you take the madeleines out of the oven by turning the mold upside down and tapping an edge of the pan against the working surface. Gently coax uncooperative madeleines out with the tip of a butter knife.
7. To bake the remaining madeleines, clean the pan, lightly grease and flour again to the freezer for 10 minutes, fill with more batter, and bake as indicated.
8. Serve the madeleines warm or room temperature with Salted Caramel Sauce on the side. Madeleines are best served the day they are baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze up to 1 month. To return the madeleines to their freshly baked state, bring to room temperature before warming in a 300 F oven for 6-8 minutes.