Madeleines Save the Day

Don’t they always? Or, shouldn’t they? This safe-haven of a recipe rescued me after a long-winded day (Ok: week? Month?) of battling mediocre (with a dash of disastrous) baking efforts.

Dainty, elegant, and satisfyingly unfussy, these madeleines boast an unexpected dose of palatable luxury sure to content even the ‘non-GF’ eater. I’ve been making this recipe for nearly a year now, and mercifully happily, I might add. Good for breakfast, tea, or dessert; these lovelies exist to please.

They are impressively un-persnickety, but that might not be initially apparent; after all, any recipe that demands its own mold should be approached with caution, especially when said delicacy was once the fare of royalty. The formula presented here is an enticing marriage of tradition and deviation, and eagerly awaits your further personal alterations.

For instance, with great enthusiasm I picked up a bottle of orange flower water (the key ingredient in -authentic- madeleines), but quickly learned, yielding to my own taste, that the whole orange flower water aura is best left at a perfume counter. I instead opt for the flavors and scents of vanilla, almond, orange oil, or some combination of such. Next, 101 Cookbooks introduced me to dusting the scalloped tops with confectioners sugar, which I promptly adulterated by completely blizzarding the madeleines with a white-out worthy snow of confectioners’ sugar + cinnamon (Perhaps a little powdered-donut inspiration going on?). Do as you wish; this recipe greets you with open arms.

Madeleines

–Gratefully inspired by and adapted from this recipe.
*Makes 2-3 dozen, depending on the size of your pan/how you fill them.

3 Tablespoons corn starch
3 Tablespoons tapioca starch
3 Tablespoons sorghum flour
6 Tablespoons hazelnut flour/meal
4 eggs
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum
8 Tablespoons +3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons orange water, vanilla, almond, orange flavor/zest, or lemon flavor/zest
1-2 Tablespoons melted butter (for buttering pan)
Extra tapioca/corn starch, and sugar for pans
Confectioners’ sugar + cinnamon for dusting tops (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F. Liberally brush some of the melted butter over entire madeleine pan. Dust lightly with a mixture of sugar/tapioca (or corn) starch. This ensures a nice ‘sugar crust’, not to mention easy pan removal.

Melt the 8 + 3 tablespoons butter using your desired method (or brown the butter, if you like), then set aside to cool slightly. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the eggs for 3 minutes, until thick. Add the 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar and beat for 3-4 minutes, until thick and mousse-esque.

Stop the mixer and measure dry ingredients right into bowl. Gently incorporate them, then pour the butter and flavoring over the mix. Fold to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Divide batter into molds, using a spoon or ice cream scoop. I usually fill molds 2/3 full, but there is some variation, so you may wish to designate your first tray as a test.

I put the madeleine pan directly on the oven rack (no cookie sheet under it) and bake for 8-12 minutes, until puffed, and golden. They spring back when poked gently.

Everyone seems to have their own belief about removing them from the molds, but I’ve found it easiest to place the madeleine pan on a rack, let stand 1-2 minutes, then, using a small spoon, unmold them gingerly, and leave them in the pan for 10 minutes until removing to cool completely. Try this with a few, and let a few cool 10 minutes before unmolding; see which you prefer. Also; I’m not sure if this process is any different in a silicone pan, as I’ve never used one.

Once successfully unmolded (and slightly cooled), dust the tops (or bottoms) with powdered sugar and/or cinnamon, if desired. It is really, quite good.

Batter may be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. When baking batter after refrigeration, lower oven temperature to 400F. Madeleines keep best covered tightly at room temperature, for one day, and, after that, refrigerated, for up to two days.

Kitchen Notes:

–Though I’ve done it, I generally skimp on the browned butter technique; the hazelnuts already contribute a generous roasted caramel flavor, and there was that one time I really browned the butter, as in, uh, blackened it. So I’m just rain-checking it, for now.

–Call it a blunder, but when making these, I have always used the paddle attachment on my mixer rather than the whisk. Next time I must remember to actually use the whisk.

–I’ve used turbinado sugar to dust the pans, and, while it kind of disrupts the scalloped shape, it leaves a nice crackly crust.

–Like the cinnamon rolls, I’ve been making this recipe too long without major divergence; time to try adding blueberries, a cream filling, gingerbread flavors, dusting with cocoa, or…? Please, tell me what else I might try.