I am getting in the mood for baking Xmas cookies. I love Madeleines because they are simple to make and so bright and fresh with the lemon zest. Maybe not the most Xmas-y cookie, but something magical happens when you mix lemon zest with sugar and butter and apply heat, although even without the heat the batter is impossible to resist. I put away spoon fulls of it and wonder why my yield is so low...I made this particular batch to give to my brow-waxer. Anyone who can be bothered to look at this mug on a monthly basis for two years in a row deserves some special recognition.
You definitely need the special pan with the shell indentations if you want anyone to have even the slightest clue as to what you just made. I have had prior success making these in a mini cupcake pan though the effect isn't quite as elegant.
*I can't stress this enough, butter and flour the heck out of your pan. There is nothing more frustrating than a perfectly adorable, golden Madeleine that has been entombed in a pan and the only way you can dislodge it is by ruining it entirely.
When they are done you can do several treatments depending on your mood. There is the classic sprinkling of powdered sugar. I prefer to either leave them as is or dip them into chocolate so dark that light cannot escape its surface. This is an especially good way to preserve their moisture if you plan on keeping them around for more than a day or giving them as a gift. You can then roll the still-warm chocolate dipped Madeleines in chopped roasted pecans or almonds or even tiny chocolate chips if you are feeling a little insane. Defy logic!
Ingredients:
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. flour
2 large eggs
10 tbsp unsalted butter (melted then cooled slightly)
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Yield: about 2 dozen cookies. I got about 20 but then I ate a lot of batter and overfilled some of the shells because I'm out of practice.
1. Preheat oven to 375. Butter and flour pan.
2. Beat eggs and sugar just to blend. Beat in vanilla, lemon peel, salt.
3. Add flour and baking powder, beat until just blended. Gradually add melted butter in a steady stream, beating until just blended (This step is impossible to photograph yourself doing, btw).
4. Spoon one tbsp into each indentation. Bake until puffed and brown, about 13-16 mins. Cool for 5.
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