TWD: Traditional Madeleines

Don't they just look like fields of yellow mushrooms? No? Oh well...maybe its just me. And I don't even like mushrooms! Go figure! This week's Tuesday with Dorie recipe was Traditional Madeleines courtesy of Tara of
Smells Like Home. I have to admit, I was relived when the recipe was announced last week. I needed something simple, quick, and somewhat lighter to make after the more involved and calorie laden desserts of the past few weeks.

Unfortunately, I don't have a madeleine pan to get the traditional madeleine cookie shape and at this time, I just can't justify buying another pan. One of my fellow TWD bakers suggested using mini muffin pans instead. And guess what I just happened to bring home from my mother's kitchen over mother's day weekend? yep! Mini muffin pans! You're probably thinking that I get a lot from my mother's kitchen. Yeah, I do but seriously! The woman had multiple pans! And she's moving so every time I go home, she's shoving stuff in boxes for me to take!



Making the madeleines in the muffin pans gave me the perfect excuse to take them to work for breakfast. They were compact, crunchy, and so yummy. The lemon zest made them fragrant and very tasty. It wasn't overwhelming in lemon taste though. Just enough to be light and refreshing for breakfast. The powdered sugar sprinkled on top gave them just a touch more sweetness and it was soooo good with the lemon. yum! Perhaps I will take Dorie up on her suggestion and eat these with espresso (from my mother's gift from me) when I'm visiting my family again this weekend (its Memorial Day weekend and my sister's (the sous chef from last week) birthday. I bet they are delicious together.


I'd love to be able to make them traditionally so someday a madeleine pan will be on my list to buy. Until then I'll definitely be making these (Un)Traditional Madeleine Muffins.

Come back next week for Pecan Honey Stick Buns from Madam Chow of Madam Chow's Kitchen. Yes! I've been wanting to make those since I saw the picture! And I get to use the rest of my brioche dough that was leftover from the Brioche Raisin (Cranberry) Snails.



Check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie Bakers for more Traditional Madeleines!



Traditional Madeleines

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a 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 for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don't worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven's heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.

Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners' sugar.

makes 12 large or 36 mini cookies

serving: Serve the cookies when they are only slightly warm or when they reach room temperature, with tea or espresso.

storing: Although the batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, the madeleines should be eaten soon after they are made. You can keep them overnight in a sealed container, but they really are better on day 1. If you must store them, wrap them airtight and freeze them; they'll keep for up to 2 months.

Source: Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan