Tuesday, May 20, 2008

TWD: Madeleines



So, apparently I did not follow directions very well for this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie task. Tara of Smells Like Home chose Traditional Madeleines. I'm not sure why when I read I assumed we could choose from all the Madeleines but I did. So I suppose that when we get around to making the Fluff-Filled Chocolate Madeleines I will make traditional Madeleines. My apologies- so sorry!

I had a bit of a hard time finding my madeleine pan. I know I've made madeleines before. I remember that shortly after I got married I found a madeleine pan at World Market and just had to have it. Sometime in the last five years it has disappeared. I have moved since then and our stuff was in storage for a while. Somehow I always end up missing a couple things after moving. But it has taken me three years to realize that it was missing. So, I trekked down to Bed, Bath and Beyond and picked up a new one. Hopefully, I can keep track of this one!


My husband said the Fluff-filled Madeleines were tasty. I don't care to much for cake- especially chocolate cake. They were very similar to a Hostess cupcake as Dorie said they would be. My husband came home from work and ate three before dinner!



Fluff-Filled Chocolate Madeleines
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours- makes 12 cookies -

Ingredients:

For the madeleines:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Fluff, for filling and frosting (I used this recipe for fluff)

For the dip:

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Procedure:
To make the
madeleines: Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until they are pale and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract, switch to a large rubber spatula and gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Put a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours or for up to 2 days. Chilling the batter gives you a better chance of getting the characteristic bump on the back of the cookies.

Getting ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Butter and flour the pan even if it is nonstick; you can skip this step if you are using silicone pans. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
Spoon the batter into the molds.
Place the pan in the oven and immediately lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, or until they feel springy to the touch. Remove the pan from the oven and rap one side of the
madeleine pan against the counter – the plump little cakes should come tumbling out. Gently pry any reluctant cookies out with your fingers or a butter knife. Cool to room temperature on a rack.
To fill the
madeleines: Fit a small pastry bag with a small plain tip and spoon Fluff into the bag. Use the point of the tip to poke a hole in the rounded (plain) side of each madeleine, and pipe enough Fluff into each cookie to fill it—stop when the Fluff reaches the top of the cake. (You'll use only a bit of Fluff.)

To make the dip: Put the chocolate in a small deep heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a full boil, then pour it over the chocolate. Wait 1 minute, then gently whisk the cream into the chocolate. Start at the center and slowly work your way out in concentric circles until you have a smooth, shiny mixture. Gently whisk in the butter.

Line a small baking sheet with wax paper. One by one, hold a madeleine at its narrow end and dip it into the chocolate, then lift it up, let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl and place the cookie, plain side down, on the wax paper. Slide the baking sheet into the refrigerator to set the glaze, about 15 minutes. (You'll have more ganache than you need, but making a larger quantity produces a better ganache. Leftover dip can be covered and refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.)

If you'd like, pipe a little squiggle of Fluff on the top of each Madeleine once the chocolate is set.

Serving: Coffee of every variety, milk and hot chocolate are all good companions.
Storing: Although the batter can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days, the
madeleines should be eaten soon after they are made. However, wrapped airtight, they can be frozen—even after they've been filled and frosted—for up to 2 months. And stale madeleines, as Proust would be the first to tell you, are good for dunking.


13 comments:

Garrett said...

Oh, yum! Even if they were made by mistake, they still look delicious! I'm hoping to make madeleines again soon, so I might have to sneak this recipe in.

Melissa said...

Yum, those look good!

mimi said...

eating three before dinner - that's a high compliment! they look so cute, i bet my hubby would devour these too!

ostwestwind said...

I am a dunking person. Stale or not stale, your chocolate version looks nice!
Ulrike from Küchenlatein

Engineer Baker said...

They look beautiful, and really - they're so small, three is basically like not eating any at all :)

Gretchen Noelle said...

Oh my goodness, those look amazing!

Bumblebutton said...

You don't really care for chocolate cake? What's up with that!!! Well at least someone enjoyed them!

CB said...

Its like a high end french ho ho! LOL. I am all about the marshmallow filled. Great job!
Clara @ I♥food4thought

Jayne said...

Yum - I want to make THOSE Madeleines, to heck with tradition!

Mari said...

I just gained a kilo looking at these babies!

Casa Costello said...

Mmm they look gorgeous! hx

Jaime said...

i LOVE those hostess cakes! yum! great job

LyB said...

Those are definitely on my to try list, anything Fluff filled sounds delicious! :)