lemon madeleines

one of my favorite desserts is found in the pastry shops of France, but can be easily replicated in the home kitchen.  unlike most desserts, this recipe does require a special type of baking pan, however; they can be easily found in most cooking stores today.  i have three different types of madeleine sheet pans, all made of tin, but of different shapes.  the classic shape is the elongated shell, with the traditional shell being the next typical shape.  my third pan makes smaller bite-sized madelines, and i didn't choose to use it this past week.

there are several important steps to making madeleines.  the first is to follow the recipe exactly using the recommended ingredients.  cake flour is essential to having the madeleines puff up and bake appropriately.
another important step is to thoroughly grease the tin sheets while placing them on baking sheets prior to baking in the oven.  this works much better than simply baking the sheets directly on the oven racks.
madeleine recipes are quite versatile, since these cookie cakes can be flavored many ways.  lemon is my favorite, but orange, almond, anise or even vanilla could be substituted for the recipe. when using the powdered sugar prior to serving, it is best that the madeleines are cooled some.  most recipes will say to serve these cookies while still warm, so there is a timing element to the powdered sugar step.

one final critical step is noted, but might be often skipped during the cookie preparation.  and, that is to rest the batter, after mixing, for thirty minutes.  if this step is overlooked, the batter will be too thin and will not have the proper texture of a madeleine when baked. as the batter rests, it thickens in the mixer, as can be seen in this photograph.

i used martha stewart's recipe from her current most recent cookie cookbook.

madeleines must be served and eaten in a couple of days, or they will store well in the refrigerator.  they can be served with tea or coffee, whipped cream or ice cream. i find the taste of fresh lemon peel in the cookie makes the difference in taste, texture and flavor.