Cherry madeleines with hot toffee sauce

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Lightly brush the madeleine moulds (see tips) with a little melted butter, dust very lightly with flour, then tap out the excess. Set aside.
2. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until frothy and light. Whisk in all the madeleine ingredients except the cherries, then leave to stand for 20 minutes. Stir in the cherries, then spoon into the moulds.
3. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cakes feel springy and light to the touch and are golden. Remove from the oven and immediately tip out on to a wire rack. While the madeleines are cooling, make the sauce.
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5. Heat the sugar very gently in a heavy-based frying pan without stirring until it has dissolved and turns a rich red-brown colour. Immediately add the butter and stir – be careful as it will spit. Add the rum and let it bubble for 30 seconds or so, then add the cream and stir everything together (if the cream is cold the caramel will solidify – keep stirring over a low heat and it will come back together). Let it all bubble gently for a minute or so, then pour into a bowl. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately with the madeleines for dipping. The cakes are best eaten on the day they’re made, ideally no more than an hour after they come out of the oven.