For many years, I have used a silicone madeliene mould. It gives my madeleines a long, elegant shape and works perfectly for chocolate coating.

For my birthday I was given a metal mould. And today, while making after school madeleines for the children, I decided to test it!

What did I find?

1) More consistent humps. Partly because I put my metal mould in the freezer before filling, to give a bigger temperature ‘shock’, which leads to better humps

2) A more crisp exterior, as the metal is a better heat conductor.

By contrast, I've found madeleines made with a silicone mould have a lighter, more moist texture, which is less traditional. They also need to be baked for a few minutes longer.

My husband prefers the silicone mould version, and I do love their elegant shape. But for a consistent bake, the metal mould is a winner!

(In Pics: Humps, a metal mould batch, and a silicone mould version)