Friday, September 23, 2011

Sweet Madeleine's

Sweet Madeleine's
 
This week’s French Friday’s with Dorie cooking challenge is “Honey-Spiced Madeleine’s” from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.   Until this week, my exposure to madeleine’s was limited to the packaged, preservative laden product at The Coffee Bean, when we forget treats for Sasha the Wonder Dog, or at a tea room when served as a substitute for crumpets.  

Being a Culinary Diva means having a fully stocked kitchen, but even I was surprised to discover a madeleine pan in the dark recesses of a kitchen cabinet.  (I must be clairvoyant to have anticipated four years in advance this cooking challenge!) Since this pan had never been used, I made sure all tags and stickers had been removed to avoid the unmistakable, and most unpleasant, aroma of burnt paper and glue.  (Note:  Williams Sonoma has a nice selection of pans and some really great pasta serving bowls right now).

Look - no sticker!
 Just like a girl scout, or a coed on a first date with a basketball player, a Culinary Diva must “be prepared,” and I was.  I had everything on hand to whip up the madeleine’s and was even able to enhance the flavor by using Braswell’s Select Cinnamon Honey (this is delicious!).    

This is hardly spread out, I only used three counters this week

Flour, Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, and Cloves

My secret ingredient - Braswell's Select Cinnamon Honey with Pure Vanilla
(measuring cup from Anthropologie - isn't it cute!!!)
 
Egg Mixture Folded into Flour Mixture

To my companion’s chagrin, I really spread out in the kitchen when cooking.  I like to get all the ingredients on display before starting and today was no exception.   The mixture of flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and orange zest created heavenly and intoxicating aromas.  Perhaps so much so that I overlooked the instruction the dough rest for 3 hours before baking.  A wine dinner loomed just a couple hours away, so I re-read the instructions more carefully and, gratefully, learned the mixture can be kept under cover overnight in the refrigerator, either in the mixing bowl or, even better, in the madeleine pan ready to pop into the oven. 


Madeleine's Ready!

Saran Wrap covering dough to refrigerate overnight

Madeleine's in the morning - ready for the oven!

My first Madeleine's - they are a lot more golden than Dorie's!

The overnight rest relaxed not only me but the madeleine dough and with very little effort or time I was able to create a special morning treat.  I let the dough warm up a little before popping it into a 400 degree oven for  eleven minutes.  Sensuous fragrances wafted from the oven as I worked my BTL cappuccino machine.  The combination of fresh, hot madeleines with a frothy cappuccino is a great way to start the day.

The good life - Madeleine's & Cappuccino poolside!


To read more about the French Friday experiences:

http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/




19 comments:

  1. My madeleines were also very golden, but that's because I used way more cloves than the recipe called for. Yours turned out great!

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  2. Ah - what a perfect morning treat.
    And yes - that measuring cup from Anthropologie is just too awesome...

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  3. I bet they were perfect with a cappuccino! The Cinnamon Honey sounds delicious. I am glad to hear that your dog is recuperating well from his surgery!

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  4. I'm going to try the morning treat plan with my next batch. My batch didn't make it until morning. Sigh.

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  5. That's what I call a lovely breakfast! I'm going to have to invest in a madeleine pan some time soon, as I really enjoyed this recipe.

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  6. Lovely post! I let mine rest overnight too, which made things easy. Yours look wonderful!

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  7. Your top photo with swimming pool in the back is so inviting and I think madeleines for breakfast with coffee or tea is calling my name;-)

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  8. I also love the photo with the swimming pool...and I can't think of anything I'd enjoy more, in the morning, then sitting by a pool with a cup of tea and some madeleines! Your madeleines look great! When I make the them with the rose water I add about 2 teaspoons of rosewater to the batter and leave out the grated lemon. The flavor is flowery...very middle eastern. If you give them a try let me know.

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  9. I have those same measuring cups, and I love them! I also loved your observations about being prepared!! Your pictures look great.

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  10. Very, very nice! I'm waiting for it to cool off a bit more before I begin my baking frenzy at home. I have the coordinating rolling pin from Anthro that I need to break in!

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  11. Picture perfect madeleines!! You rocked these!!!

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  12. Thank you for the welcome back to ffwd and for visiting my madeleine post!

    Yours look simply perfect, I love the defined scallops your pan does. And how great to have a madeleine pan lurking in your kitchen just waiting for this recipe :) I bought my two madeleine pans when I joined twd in 2008 and have only used the full sized one twice, and the mini one not at all yet. Will have to soon!

    Amazing photos, love the poolside madeleines with a cappuccino, the good life for sure :)

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  13. Your coffee & madeliene pic looks awesome! I liked also the convinience of having them ready to go.

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  14. The cinnamon honey sounds fantastic! What a great breakfast - I would have had the hardest time going back to the house on such a pretty day.

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  15. Now THAT'S a well rounded breakfast, a cappuccino, madeleines, and a pool! Great pictures this week!

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  16. What a perfect breakfast, poolside! My madeleine pan was just waiting for this week's recipe too, first time I made them, though that pan's been ready for YEARS. I noticed the new pasta dishes in the W-S catalog. I love the pomegranate design.

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  17. These look delicious! Love your blog Christy, so glad to be a new follower! xoxo

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