Tuesdays with Dorie: Madeleines - C'est Magnifique!

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Sheesh! Ever since I joined the Tuesdays with Dorie group, Tuesdays sure seem to roll around a lot faster! I don't really mind, though. I'm having a great time trying out all of these fab new recipes. This week's selection is a favorite of mine - Madeleines. I had my first taste of these plump and buttery little shell-shaped sweets last summer in Paris and I was hooked. In fact, one of my very first posts on this blog was about one of Dorie's versions of the madeleine. Part cookie/part cake, these madeleines go with everything and are a perfect treat any time of the day.

I followed this recipe as written. I've made them a few times before and they always turned out great. The only adjustment I did make was to add extra lemon zest, because I like a more lemony flavor. My madeleines turned out beautifully! They were a burnished golden color with the slightest hint of crunch on the outside and soft and cakey on the inside. More importantly, each one bore that very desirable hump!

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My thanks go out to Tara of Smells Like Home, our host this week, for choosing such a great recipe. Also, please take some time to visit the other TWD bakers here and check out their delectable offerings.

If you've never eaten a madeleine before, you owe it to yourself to make some NOW! Then, put on a Piaf CD, grab a steamy cup of cafe au lait and enjoy! C'est Magnifique!

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Traditional Madeleines

(Printable Recipe)

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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

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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 madeleines

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Enjoy!