Madeleines

The market is a great place to look for things that inspire me to cook. I typically shop for items beyond what's on my handy dandy shopping list, that is if I've remembered to bring the list from off the kitchen table. I guess it's a good thing my husband does most of the market runs in our house. Not only is he good at bringing the much-needed list, he always chooses great produce and picks up unusual or exotic items I would never think of getting. This is great for me since our tastes are so different and his additions to our kitchen help me to cook and bake beyond my comfort zone.

My husband is also brilliant at finding cakes and things that our waistlines really don’t need around the house. The other day he went to our local warehouse club and came home with madeleines, those little, wonderful, fluffy, spongy-baked gems. Ever since, I’ve been obsessed with trying my hand at making some myself. Finally, this week I found the perfect recipe. They turned out just as amazing as the ones my husband had brought home. They are also so simple to make that after baking them, you will never want to have store-bought madeleines again.

Traditional Madeleines
From Baking: from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

If you are anything like me in that as you read this recipe you catch yourself already grabbing the ingredients from the pantry, no worries. Just start the dough and while it refrigerates you will have plenty of time to run to the store and get your Madeleine mold. According to Ms. Greenspan, refrigerating the dough will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines.

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp alcohol free vanilla extract
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Confectioners’ Sugar, for dusting

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Working in a mixer bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs, and beat with the whisk attachment the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and thick. Beat in vanilla.

With rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, center rack in the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size Madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out excess. Place the pan on a baking sheet.


Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don’t do this like I did and overfill as they will end up growing over the mold and sticking. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Release madeleines from molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter and gently using a butter knife, if needed. Let cookies cool in rack to just warm or to room temperature. Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners’ sugar. If there are any left, store in a closed container and they will taste just as amazing the next day