• Petite sponge bites, madeleines were made famous by the French novelist Marcel Proust who, after tasting one dunked madeleine, was inspired to write his work of art, Remembrance of Things Past. COOK’S TIPS • If you prefer not to use a spray then melt some butter and coat the moulds. Dust flour on top of the butter and tap the mould to remove the excess. • Madeleines typically bake with a hump on the surface so don’t worry when you see them rising.

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    In Barcelona, hip young lovers kiss openly on the streets. The organic wavey shapes and glittering mosaic of Gaudi façades catch you by surprise as you whizz through main drags in a taxi. Visible from almost every vantage point are the legendary spires of the La Sagrada Familia Cathedral. The Ramblas is the long and wide pedestrian mall, which runs through the centre of the city. It’s always buzzing with tourists, and lined with overpriced restaurants flogging paella and sangria to those who are willing to lap it up. But if you’re looking for authenticity you don’t have to venture…