TwD: Ugly but Delicious

I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to see madeleines chosen for this installment of Tuesdays with Dorie. I had a lovely experience making them before, and knew that Dorie's would be just as excellent!

Who cares if they weren't pretty - because they made up for it in the taste department. They were perfectly lemony and sweet without being too much of either. I really like Dorie's direction to blend the sugar and the lemon zest before you start - the fragrance is heavenly. If it weren't weird to do so, I could just eat it with a spoon. I restrained myself and moved forward.

I would like to think it was some kind of rookie mistake... and certainly, I won't let it happen again, but I totally over-filled my pan. The batter was thick (and delicious) and I just spooned these heaping spoonfuls into the molds. That said, I could have ended up with more than just 12. If you don't count all the batter I ate - tested! - this could have netted at least 16 cookies... maybe 18. They didn't suffer for it, but they weren't as adorable and cute as I'd hoped.


All 12 cookies were gone in 12 hours. We had a bunch the night I made them and the rest for breakfast the day after. (Bacon and eggs are over-rated.) I fully intended to make these again over the weekend, and make them properly. Sadly, it just didn't happen. These lovely babies WILL be made again, however. They are too tasty to resist.

My thanks to Tara for a lovely choice! Please go check out the other bakers at Tuesdays with Dorie - their madeleines are MUCH prettier!


Traditional Madelines
c/o Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
http://www.amazon.de/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books-intl-de&qid=1209562505&sr=1-1

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.