1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter until light amber in color.

2. Brush madeleine pan with melted butter, and dust lightly with flour. Place hazelnuts and 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and process until very fine.

3. Combine hazelnut flour mixture, 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Add egg whites and vanilla, and whisk to combine. Add melted browned butter, and whisk until incorporated. With a tablespoon, fill molds evenly, about three-quarters of the way. Transfer to oven, and bake 14 to 18 minutes. Cool 2 minutes, and remove from pan. Cool completely on a rack, ridged side up. Dust cookies with confectioners' sugar.

variations include chocolate, cocoa, almond paste, or nuts, as in this recipe. Baked in scallop-shaped molds, these cookies are tender with a tight-grained interior and a delicate crust. The origins of madeleines date back to eighteenth-century France. They are said to be named for a young girl from Commercy who introduced them to the court of the Duke of Lorraine, the father-in-law of Louis Xv.