Tuesdays with Dorie: Traditional Madeleines
May 20, 2008 at 3:37 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, cookies & bars, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 55 Comments
I’d been crossing my fingers that Tara of Smells Like Home would choose a cookie for this week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. Then Tara picked Dorie’s Traditional Madeleines–score! I know that a madeleine is really cake in cookie’s clothing, but after all the hard-core desserting I’ve been doing (and still have left to do this month), I was happy to have something that’s just a sweet bite.
I have fond voluntary (as opposed to Proustian-ha!) memories of these little scalloped-shaped cuties. Actually my memories are quite recent, as we made madeleines as part of the petits fours plate at the restaurant I last worked for. That recipe uses browned butter and almond flour, and we made a variety of flavors, from lavender to lemon-thyme, depending on what we felt like or what we had available.
Dorie’s recipe is flavored with lemon zest, and even though she doesn’t instruct you to brown the melted butter, I went ahead and did it anyway. Browned butter just has such a beautiful flavor, I used my non-stick mini madeleine pan (which is the only one I have, and trust me, you still need to grease it well) to bake them off, and made half of Dorie’s recipe. Rather than sprinkling them with powdered sugar before serving, I tossed the still-warm madeleines in some finely ground vanilla sugar.
I will say that these make very good little lemony tea cakes. They are soft and light and tasty (do bake them right when you are ready to eat them though, as they stale quickly). But I have one gripe. If we are talking about “tradition” here, then madeleines are supposed to have a bump on their backsides. We learned in culinary school that the bump is desirable, and our instructor said that madeleines are often presented with their bums in the air (rather than scalloped side up) to show them off. Dorie calls for chilling the batter for at least three hours to help form this bump. The same day I made the batter, I baked up half of it after letting it chill for several hours. No bump. The next day, I baked up the remaining batter (it had now been chilling overnight). Two madeleines had the bump…the rest didn’t. Ah well…after conferring with other TWDers, this seemed to happen to most everyone. And as Ulrike pointed out, even the Traditional Madeleines pictured in Dorie’s book don’t have bumps!
If you’d like to try your hand at baking madeleines (and see if you get the coveted golden bump!), you can find the recipe here on Smells Like Home or in Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
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Bumps or no bumps your madeleines look yummy! I lurve vanilla sugar! Great job!
Clara @ I♥food4thought
Comment by CB— May 20, 2008 #
they look so fab and fluffy!!! interesting about a cake in cookie’s clothing, i have never liked madeleine’s but maybe i was eating the WRONG ones. hmmmm.
Comment by Mara— May 20, 2008 #
Browned butter! Wish I had thought of that! They are darling, even without the bump. None of mine got them either!
Comment by Bumblebutton— May 20, 2008 #
Steph these look fluffy and so moist. Perfect
Comment by Meeta— May 20, 2008 #
I’m so jealous of anyone who makes madelines; I really want a mould! Probably shouldn’t be top of my to-buy list for kitchen priorities, but never mind. These look gorgeous.
Comment by Indigo— May 20, 2008 #
They look gorgeous!
Comment by noskos— May 20, 2008 #
Oh my. These look like heaven. I can just about feel the sugar granules crunching in my mouth.
Comment by Sarah— May 20, 2008 #
the vanilla sugar is a great idea!!! they look beautiful!
Comment by Tammy— May 20, 2008 #
Gorgeous! I’ve only had madeleines once in my life and didn’t like them but your post made me want to give them another chance.
Comment by amanda— May 20, 2008 #
I always check your blog first because I know it will be up when it is still Monday for me. I am so impressed with your photography and wish I could eat creations. Love it!
Comment by Mary Ann— May 20, 2008 #
I meant to say I wish I could eat your creations. sorry that didn’t make sense!
Comment by Mary Ann— May 20, 2008 #
They look lovely! Great job!
Comment by Heather— May 20, 2008 #
Browned butter and sprinkled with vanilla sugar – great ideas. I love how versatile this recipe is! Great photos.
Comment by Shari— May 20, 2008 #
vanilla sugar! sounds great. Guess what? i even forgot about the powdered sugar. haha.
no humps on mine either. *pouts*
Comment by Sihan— May 20, 2008 #
They do look beautiful and taste wonderful fresh – but I never could get the batter to cooperate and get the bump either (tried twice). Great job!
Comment by Holly— May 20, 2008 #
Bumps or no bump, your madeleines look absolutely delicious!
Comment by Linda— May 20, 2008 #
looks beautiful! love the vanilla sugar, totally wish i could eat one of yours!
Comment by mimi— May 20, 2008 #
I love your photos! Nice job! Mine didn’t bump much, either, but they were so easy and delicious that there’s no excuse not to try again soon!
Comment by Cheryl— May 20, 2008 #
Ha! I am just like Mary Ann….stopping by first. it is alway so fun to see your successes and this time is no different. Woohoo! ok..off to bed now!
Comment by Chris— May 20, 2008 #
Golden bump? With that recipe I didn’t get them either, but your shells look great!
Comment by Ulrike aka ostwestwind— May 20, 2008 #
I love the sugar on them…it shimmers in the pictures.
Comment by peabody— May 20, 2008 #
Bump or no bump I like your Madeleines! I didn’t think of browning the butter and will try that next time. I love the sugar on them yum vanilla sugar!
Comment by Christine— May 20, 2008 #
Gorgeous photos.
Comment by Landa— May 20, 2008 #
WOW. I love the look of the vanilla sugar. I’m definitely going to use browned butter when I make these again. Great job!!!
Comment by Lindsey (Cafe Johnsonia)— May 20, 2008 #
Amazing as usual. They look so pretty and I like the vanilla sugar idea.
Comment by Lori— May 20, 2008 #
The vanilla sugar is just lovely. Well done!
Comment by andreainthekitchen— May 20, 2008 #
They look gorgeous! I love the vanilla sugar on them!
Comment by April— May 20, 2008 #
Beautiful, makes me wanna lick the screen..I have a feeling it wouldn’t taste as good though 😉
Comment by Carrie— May 20, 2008 #
These are spectacular. And if Dorie got no bumps, we are more than excused. 😉
Comment by Patricia Scarpin— May 20, 2008 #
wow! you baked some perfectly fluffy madelines! I want one of those!
Comment by Lina— May 21, 2008 #
your madeleines look gorgeous… the sugar is so lovely, it makes me think of a churro 🙂
Comment by kim— May 21, 2008 #
Looks like your madelines would have such a great texture. I could imagen biting into a sugar encrusted madeline, mmm.
Comment by Danielle— May 21, 2008 #
No bump for me, either, but I really goofed up the recipe, so pay me no mind! I will try these again using brown butter, because it sounds so good! Thanks for the tip!
Comment by Madam Chow— May 21, 2008 #
Mmmm!! They look so sugary and delicious!! I love that first pic!!
Comment by Amy— May 21, 2008 #
Vanilla sugar is such a wonderful idea, as is the browned butter.
Comment by Dianne— May 21, 2008 #
Steph your madeleines look soooo delicious! I love the sugar on them and the idea of using browned butter! You go girl!
Comment by Marie— May 21, 2008 #
These look so delicious! They are probably my favorite cookies.
I love your photos!
Comment by Vera— May 21, 2008 #
so glad i came through for you cookie wish this week! 🙂 it looks like these lovely delights turned out just perfect and i love the fact that you rolled them in vanilla sugar – heavenly! great job!
Comment by smellslikehome— May 21, 2008 #
You and your mad madeleine baking friends have really given me inspiration. I almost bought a madeleine pan at William Sonoma an hour ago because of all these great looking cookies on the net today!
Comment by danamccauley— May 21, 2008 #
Looks absolutely Fantastic!
Comment by SharonaMay— May 21, 2008 #
Oh my…those look HEAVENLY! I MUST try this! And, as always, beautiful pics!
Comment by Annemarie— May 21, 2008 #
even w/o the bumps, they are beautiful! love the idea of vanilla sugar 🙂
Comment by Jaime— May 21, 2008 #
The vanilla sugar is a great addition! I love how they look. After seeing all the madeleines I think I may have whip up a batch! 🙂
Comment by Gigi— May 21, 2008 #
Yours look like they could be on a magazine cover! That first photo is THAT beautiful!
I do agree with you about the bump/hump or no hump. Some of Dorie’s recipes have been inconsistent to say the least.
I always question the recipes now.
Comment by Donna— May 21, 2008 #
Yours look fantastic! Like you could take a bite right out of the computer screen.
Comment by JacqueOH— May 21, 2008 #
Bump or no bump, I love the idea of tossing them warm in vanilla sugar! I was nearly licking the screen!
Comment by mari— May 21, 2008 #
Those remind me of the fresh apple cider donuts with their sprinkling of cinnamon sugar that we get every year at apple picking. I’m sure they aren’t even close in taste, but they remind me of that happy, warm, sugary event.
Comment by Jenny— May 22, 2008 #
As usual, dainty, precious and perfect! …plus the little whimsical touch of granulated sugar adds that little “je ne sais quoi” that suits your confections so well!
I’m glad you have found my translator of use this time! Not great huh? but it’s better than for me to have to write a bilingual blog (simply too much work!) Nevertheless, I’ll try to keep in mind that more English people might be reading my Tuesday posts, and will try to make it less technical and perhaps more surprising next time!
GREAT JOB! Bravo! …and thanks again for passing by, I really appreciate people that have your “open mindeness”!!! 🙂
Comment by Vibi— May 22, 2008 #
The madeleines look so delicious! Beautful photos!
Comment by Liliana— May 22, 2008 #
Love the idea of the vanilla sugar, it makes them so sparkly and cute!
Comment by LyB— May 22, 2008 #
Mmmm, vanilla sugar! Your madeleines look delicious!
Comment by Jayne— May 23, 2008 #
I’ll have to try browning the butter next time I make madeleines. I love how yours look coated in sugar!
Comment by Ashley— May 23, 2008 #
I guess it’s just about time for me to learn how to make these. They look sooooooo yummy! That sugar is gorgeous on them.
Comment by kellypea— May 23, 2008 #
Brown butter, vanilla sugar, I’m drooling!
Comment by Stephanie— May 23, 2008 #
What a great idea to brown the butter! I’ll bet the flavor was wonderful! Your madeleines look so pretty. The sugar sparkles!
Comment by Susan at Sticky,Gooey,Creamy,Chewy— May 24, 2008 #