Madeleine

I remember eyeing a madeleine pan in the Gourdo's store in Glorietta when I was in Manila.  I imagined that the results would be so pretty.  I don't think I had even tasted a madeleine when wanting to buy the pans back then.  I was attracted to them because of the shape.

 

Fast forward to window shopping in Australia.  There was a Trade Secret (now TKMaxx since 2017) at the nearby mall.  They had items that would be available in store this week and gone the next.  I spotted a couple of madeleine pans for AUD 13.  I wanted them but I didn't buy them.  After a couple more visit, I saw they were priced down to AUD9.  Tempting, really tempting ... but I still didn't buy them.  However, when I saw them a month or so later with double red tags, I could not resist.  I picked up the last two at AUD6 a piece. 

 

I didn't know how to make madeleines when I bought the pans and they were in storage for quite a while.  Eventually I did muster up the courage to try a batch and they came out quite well.  This was probably a year or so ago.

 

In January this year, I borrowed a book on madeleines wanting to give the madeleine pans some action.  I flipped through the pages of that library book while on the train going home and took note of the ingredients I needed to get.  When I finally found the time to do some baking, I ditched the library book and settled on a recipe I found in the internet.

 

They turned out beautifully.  Apparently, the secret to madeleines with the signature "hump" is the step where one has to refrigerate the batter for at least an hour before baking.

  

 

Madeleines (makes 24)

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2/3 c sugar
• 1 1/2  t orange zest
• 1 c flour
• 1 t baking powder
• ¼ t  salt
• 6 T  melted butter
• 1 T  powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In medium bowl, beat eggs with sugar until pale yellow then add orange zest.
2. In small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
3. Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture gently. Mix until just combined then add melted butter.
4. Refrigerate the batter at least 1 hour (even up to overnight).
5. Preheat oven to 350F 
6. Lightly grease madeleine pan with melted butter or baking spray.
7. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon of batter into the center of the well.  (No need to spread it out. It will spread out on its own.)   
8. Bake 7-8 mins until slightly golden around edges and centers look set .  Allow to cool slightly before moving to cooling rack, 
9. Once cooled completely, dust with powdered sugar. Serve.