Madeleines
Madeleines are wonderful, small tea cakes baked in scalloped molds, which were immortalized by Marcel Proust in Remembrance of Things Past, Vol, 1. In the famous passage Proust writes how “those short, plump little cakes called ‘petites madeleines,’ which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim’s shell†brought him back to an earlier time and place.
After tasting one, he continues, “And suddenly the memory returns…the smell and taste of things remain poised a long time, like souls, ready to remind us, waiting and hoping for their moment.†There are certainly special foods in all our lives that elicit similar remembrances.
I have been enamored with madeleines since my first exposure to them at Patisserie Conversation in Philadelphia. They were produced with genoise batter which tended to bake up rather dry, but I loved the unique shape and the literary connection. I began experimenting with recipes utilizing other mixing methods, including sponge and separated egg sponge, but all were disappointing.
Finally, around the time I was opening Seven Layers, I discovered this recipe, that utilizes the Modified Creaming approach (Baking Methods – The Friday Baking Project) and which resulted in moist, flavorful madeleine. The recipe contains orange blossom water, which according to Nielsen-Massey extract company is produced by “water distillation of the blossoms of the bitter orange tree.†Used in middle eastern cooking, orange blossom water infuses a subtle fragrance to madeleine.
One of the beauties of this recipe is that the madeleine may be made the day before, refrigerated, and then baked just prior to teatime. The filled pan may also be frozen and placed directly in the oven when the day calls for fresh madeleine.
Madeleine pans used to be made from tinned steel, which required heavy buttering to prevent sticking. Very good quality non-stick ones, requiring a light brushing of butter or a fine baker’s release spray are available from various online stores. My favorite is the 16-well pan from WIlliams-Sonoma.
Do get yourself a madeleine pan, follow the recipe below, and you will be rewarded with delightful madeleine. A pot of your favorite tea or tisane is the perfect accompaniment and will help build your own madeleine memories.
Madeleine
| Yield: 12 madeleine†| # of Servings: 6 | Method: Modified Creaming |
Ingredients:
1 cup less 1 tsp (4.5oz / 128 g) pastry or all-purpose flour
â…› tsp baking powder
â…› tsp salt
8 tbl (4 oz / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
â…“ cup + 4 tsp (3 oz / 85 g) sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp orange blossom water1
1 orange, grated rind
2 egg whites
â…› tsp cream of tartar
1 tbl (.5 oz / 14 g) sugar
Special tools and equipment needed
- One madeleine pan, preferably non-stick
- Optional: Pastry bag (21â€) with round tip (Ateco 806)
- Optional: Baking spray with flour, such as Baker’s Joy or Pam for Baking2
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Rinse and dry orange, grate rind
- If not using baking spray, lightly butter the molds with softened butter and a pastry brush.
Instructions:
- In mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- Using a countertop mixer with the paddle attachment, or a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Beat in the vanilla extract, the orange blossom water, and the orange rind.
- Add the dry mixture, and mix just until mostly blended. The batter will be very thick.
- In a clean bowl with a wire whip, whip the egg whites and the cream of tartar to soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar and beat until just firm peaks.
- Stir one third of the whites into the batter to lighten, then fold in the remaining whites in two stages, just until a homogenous mixture.
- If molds aren’t buttered, lightly coat with baking spray.
- Spoon or pipe the batter evenly into each madeleine well.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Baking:
Preheat oven to 400 °F
- Bake until madeleines are just firm to the touch, between 12 and 14 minutes.
- Immediately turn the madeleines out onto a cooling rack my turning upside down over the rack. If necessary, gently knock the pan to remove any remaining madeleine.
- Allow to cool until at least lukewarm.
- Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar just prior to serving.
Notes:
1 Nielsen-Massey produces very good orange blossom water, and is available from Amazon or Sur la Table. It also may be available in middle eastern food stores.
2 Do not use regular cooking spray without flour as it leaves a sticky residue on the surface.
Baking Tips:
- This recipe may be doubled.
