Orange Madeleines

Orange Madeleines

Where to start?! My journey to make the perfect French Madeleines started about 2 months ago. I tried a couple of recipes and found one I loved - however, they kept coming out browner than I wanted. I tried lowering the temperature and cooking a little longer - STILL brown. After doing more research, I learned that it might actually be my madeleine pan. I was using this dark, non-stick pan from Williams-Sonoma. While the madeleines tasted perfectly fine, I wanted a nice golden color instead of the dark brown I kept getting, batch after batch.

Several recipes and user comments suggested a traditional, tinned, steel pan. I found and ordered this one from The Cook's Atelier. It worked like a dream, in combination with baking them in the top third of my oven. 

I threw in some orange zest since I love almost anything with orange, but you can substitute with lemon zest or nothing at all - they'll still taste pretty amazing. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (Makes about 16 Madeleines)

  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate (or dark chocolate) chips for dipping (optional)

Directions:

  1. Place the room temperature eggs in a bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. (Tip: If your eggs are cold, submerge them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes or so) Whip on medium-high, adding the 1/2 cup of sugar a little at a time until incorporated.
  2. Once sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer on high and whisk until the eggs have double in volume, about 3-5 minutes.
  3. Remove bowl from stand mixer and stir in flour a little at a time, followed by the baking powder, salt and vanilla extract, using a flat, silicon spatula. Stir until well combined, being careful not to over-mix.
  4. Cover bowl with kitchen towel and allow to rest for 1 hour.
  5. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. 
  6. Once butter is melted, reserve 2 tablespoons for brushing madeleine pan. Add tablespoon of honey to butter and cook, stirring until smooth, about another minute.
  7. Remove from heat and allow to cool until your batter has finished resting, about one hour.
  8. Stir the butter and honey mixture in (re-warm butter to liquefy if necessary) and add to batter. Stir and fold in until well combined and allow to rest for another hour.
  9. Use a pastry brush to coat each indentation with remaining butter. Sprinkle flour over entire pan then turn upside down to remove excess flour (I did this over my sink).
  10. Using a tablespoon, fill each madeleine indentation with a tablespoon of batter. (I used a 1-inch diameter ice cream/cookie scoop)
  11. Bake at 400 F for 8-10 minutes golden brown.
  12. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 seconds.
  13. Turn pan upside down and tip out onto a cooling rack.
  14. Dust with powdered sugar and/or dip in chocolate.

Serve with espresso and try not to eat all of them!

To melt chocolate, heat in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds and stir, heat in 10 second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted.

Photos by Jonathan Stiers Β©2016 | Recipe adapted from Tasting Table

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