Classic French Madeleines Food

CLASSIC FRENCH MADELEINES

Steps:

• Cut the butter in tablespoons and place them in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, until the solids sink to the bottom of the pan and turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour the browned butter into a small bowl. Stir the vanilla and lemon zest into the butter, then set aside to cool.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside until needed.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed while gradually adding the sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and continue whipping the mixture until it's very thick and pale in color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the mixer off and, using a silicon spatula, fold in the flour mixture in three additions, stirring just until combined. Fold in the butter mixture.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days.
• 30 minutes before you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Generously brush the molds of your madeleine pan with butter, then lightly dust with flour.
• Using a medium cookie scoop, spoon level scoops of the batter into the center of each mold. You don't need to spread the batter.
• Bake for 12 minutes, or until the "bellies" have risen and they're golden brown.
• Cool madeleines in the pan placed on a cooling rack for a minute or two, then gently loosen them from the molds. If they stick, carefully run a small knife around the edge of the cakes until they release.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve warm, with coffee or tea.

MADELEINES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375. Beat sugar and eggs together until thoroughly blended. Add lemon rind and melted butter. Mix to blend. Sift together dry ingredients. Add all at once to egg mixture. Stir just to blend. Allow mix to sit at room temperature for approximately 10 minutes. While mix is resting, generously butter Madeleine molds. Spoon mix into molds, filling approximately 3/4 full. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Turn over immediately onto cooling screen. Wipe out each mold cavity, rebutter and fill again until desired number or all mix is used. Store in airtight container until ready to use.;

MADELEINES DE COMMERCY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 Farenheit.
• Butter or grease madelein tin or mini-muffin pan.
• Combine eggs and sugar and beat until pale in color.
• Stir in orange extract and butter.
• Fold in flour until mixture is smooth and uniform.
• Fill madelein tins or mini-muffin pans and bake until tops are golden and edges are crispy (about 8-10 minutes). Test doneness with a toothpick, just like baking a cake.
• Remove from oven when done and sprinkle with powdered sugar to taste.

FRENCH BUTTER CAKES (MADELEINES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter and flour 12 (3 inch) madeleine molds; set aside.
• Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.
• In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.
• Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition.
• Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.
• Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
• Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.
• Variation: Chocolate Madeleines: Omit lemon zest. Increase sugar to 1/2 cup. Substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the flour; sift into batter with flour.

FRENCH TART'S CLASSIC MADELEINES: MADELINES: LITTLE FLUTED CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C /375°F/ Gas mark 5. Grease and flour 24 Madeleine moulds. (Make sure that you grease and flour the moulds generously, to stop the cakes sticking.).
• In a medium bowl beat eggs, vanilla and lemon zest with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the icing sugar. Beat for 5 to 7 minutes or until thick and satiny. It can take up to 10 to 15 minutes to achieve the right consistency - this is the key to successful Madeleines, so don't take short cuts with this stage!
• Sift together the flour and baking powder. Sift 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg mixture, gently fold together. Fold in the remaining flour by fourths. Then fold in the melted and cooled butter. Spoon batter into the prepared moulds, filling 3/4 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops spring back. Cool in moulds on a rack for 1 minute. Loosen with a knife. Invert onto a rack and cool. Sift icing sugar over the tops or melt plain chocolate and dip the tips in the chocolate. Store in an airtight container.