Madeleines to Die For

I really didn't learn about these decadent little jewels until later on in life. When I was in school and took homemaking and cooking, they taught us how to make chocolate chip cookies but, never anything gourmet like these. Or else some of us would have gotten husband's a lot sooner!

The Recipe

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 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, five to ten minutes.

Sift flour onto egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition. Add lemon zest and pour melted butter. 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 a knife to loosen them from pan. Invert onto rack, immediately sprinkle warm cookies with sugar. They are best eaten the day they are baked.

Chocolate Madeleines

Variation: for the chocolate Madeleine, omit lemon zest. Increase sugar to a half cup. Substitute the quarter cup of unsweetened cocoa powder for two tablespoons of flour; sift into the batter with flour.

This is a helpful demo on making madeleines I found on YouTube. Some of us just want someone to talk us through it and that's okay. It's as it should be. So, enjoy!

Tea?

Earl Grey or French Breakfast are both excellent teas to sip with your Madeleines. The flavors of these teas compliment the mingling of them on the pallet. You can serve any kind of tea you like, though, just don't forget the cream and honey. Honey so justifies the tea much better than sugar and probably better for your health than sugar, since you are eating something with sugar in it. Better that it's natural sugar than refined.

Made with Love

You know, they say that if someone makes you madeleines, they love you very much. I don't know whether it's the lemon zest or the light airy way they melt in your mouth, they just seem to taste like love. If you eat them warm and fresh from the oven, if a hug was a food, this is what it would taste like. :-) They will soon be one of your fondest memories!

A lot of people adore these for breakfast but, many like them as a tea cake as well.

Legend of the Madeleine

The town of Commercy in Lorraine is known for the Madeleine and it is said that it first appeared here in the 1700s. A young girl named Madeleine stood in as a pastry chef for the Duke of Lorraine, Stanislas Leszcynski and the only thing that she knew how to make was her grandmother's recipe. Everybody loved them, thus, the Madeleine was brought about.

King Louis XV first tasted Madeleines on a visit to Larraine and was very smitten by them. He gave them to his wife, Marie, who introduced them to the French Court. So, that's how they came to be down through history even to this day! Generations to come can enjoy this historic, romantic, and heartwarming treat. :-)