Madeleines

"I raised to my lips a spoonful of the cake . . . a shudder ran through my whole body and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place." - Marcel Proust




All I've ever read by Proust is his famous quote about Madeleines. Which in and of itself makes me want to read more Proust. Or eat more Madeleines. And in almost any form these delicious, not-too-sweet, tender-crumbed cakes are delicious. And EASY to make.

Buy a Madeleine pan, they are not expensive, and can make the most pedestrian things seem a little fancier. You can use them to make little shell-shaped mini-muffins or cupcakes. You can tint some white chocolate with edible gold dust, pour into the pan molds and voila - chocolate sea shells, perfect for a sea theme birthday party! You can even make gougeres (french cheese puffs - recipe coming, I promise) look lovely for a luncheon.  Madeleine pans are so versatile that I can slip on pearls and an ironed apron and call myself Martha when I use them!

And there are lots of easy recipes out there for them.

David Lebovitz
smitten kitchen
Francois Payard



But I used Ina's. Of course.

Ina's Madeleines

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pans, plus 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon double-acting or aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly butter and flour the madeleine pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.

With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool.

P.S. Although they are technically a "sweet" cake, they go amazingly well with creme fraiche dolloped, fresh chive dusted and garam masala scented pumpkin soup.

Spiced Pumpkin Apple Soup

Very slightly adapted from Family Fun Magazine

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 3 cups chicken stock (you can substitute vegetable stock)

• 1 1/2 cups solidly packed pumpkin mash or canned pumpkin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 to 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• Creme fraiche and chives, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a medium-size soup pot. Stir in the onion, celery, and apple. Partially cover the pot and sauté the ingredients over medium-high heat until the onion is clear, about 8 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and garam masala, and sauté the mixture for another minute. Stir in 1 cup of chicken stock and cook it for 1 minute more.
2. Pour the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor, add the pumpkin, and puree the soup until it's smooth.
3. Pour it all back into the pot, then stir in the remaining chicken stock, the salt, and the bay leaf. Set the soup over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. After 5 minutes, stir in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of honey. Taste the soup, adding more salt or honey if necessary to get the desired balance of sweet and savory. Simmer it for 2 minutes more, remove the soup from the heat, and serve it hot. For a pretty -- and tasty -- touch, garnish each bowl with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of chopped chives. Makes 6 servings.