Sunday, December 9, 2007

Madeleines remind me of France...

I enjoy making Madeleines because it’s remind me of France…
Madeleines are very small cakes with a particular shell shape. Their flavor is similar to pound cake with a butter taste.

l love this little cake with little bump… You can find the traditional pan in store like « a la table » or William Sonoma. I use a silicon molds, it’s so seasy !

Madeleine is a traditional cake from Commercy, a commune of the Meuse department in northeastern France. The first Madeleines were baked in the 18th century. Madeleines are also famous for their association with Marcel Proust, a famous French author, in his novel « A la recherche du temps perdu », In Search of Lost Time.

“She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called petites madeleines, which look as though they had been molded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim's shell. And soon, mechanically, weary after a dull day with the prospect of a depressing morrow, I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid, and the crumbs with it, touched my palate than a shudder ran through my whole body, and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place…at once the vicissitudes of life had become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory…”
— Remembrance of Things Past, Volume 1: Swann's Way.

Madeleine is the cookie, I make them for parties, for gifts and when friends share a cup of tea with me. She is delicious with a cup of tea, but also with chocolate mousse, with fruits salad or apple sauce or ice-cream.


Madeleine Recipe
Make 24 madeleines

3 large eggs at room temperature
2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1⁄4 cup cornstarch
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon salt

optional : You can perfume your madeleine with 1/3 cup of shredded coconut, or shredded almond or 3 tablespoon of orange flower extract or lemon juice or chocolate or just plain!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the bowl mix with an electric mixer the eggs, sugar and vanilla for 3 minutes until it becomes yellow. Add butter and mix again. In another bowl mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Stir into the first bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour if you want.

With a soup spoon, put the batter into the pans, almost full. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges of the Madeleines are golden brown.. Remove from oven immediately and cool on racks or parchment paper.

C'est si bon !!!

1 comment:

Ali said...

I cannot wait to make these!

And, I want to visit that village in those photos! :)