Thursday, October 9, 2008

Baking: Why Madeleines are Like Girls with P.M.S.


Alright, so French cooking (as I know it) is the most exacting of all cuisines. French recipes are probably (once again, as I know it,) the most difficult recipes to follow and-- more importantly-- get right.

Case in point: Madeleine Cakes.

Madeleines, also know as petites madeleines, are little shell-shaped sponge cakes (often called cookies) that (when done right) are springy in texture and buttery in flavor; sometimes lemony depending on the recipe. These little morsels are delicious, but they are so hard to make.

Here are some little tidbits that I have picked up from experimenting with these suckers:
1. Time it right. You have to be precise when baking madeleines; leave them in too short and they don't get the nice golden color they should have, leave them in too long and you get brown hockey pucks.

2. Always butter and powder the pans in between batches; this way you get consistent coloring with all your madeleines.

If anyone has anymore, please let me know. I love these deserts. I hate the aggravation.

Picture: http://happygrub.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/ssc_0100.jpg

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another tip: don't fill the molds up too much or they will be fat and look like pregnant seashells.

LBB said...

Ha! Thank you for this! I completely craked up at "pregnant seashells" reference. TOO TRUE!