Madeleines

This week has been pretty good to me. For one, I was featured on Yummly yesterday for my post on Sticky Buns. Who would have thought that that post from 2010 would make a site like Yummly? I know I didn't even think of it. Thanks Yummly!  

In addition to being featured, I was finally able to work with one of the new tools I got from Williams-Sonoma, the Madeleine Pan. I can't tell you how long I've wanted to make Madeleines, it must have been a couple of years. There's just something about the shape that I found pretty fascinating. Usually, I'm against buying something that is not a multi-tasker/can only be used for one thing but for this I made an exception.

These Madeleines were crispy on the outside and cakey in the center. However, when my parents ate one, they were confused as to why the whole thing wasn't crunchy like a cookie. Apparently back in the Philippines, they have something called a "Butterfinger" (no, not the candy) that's similar in shape to Madeleines but are crunchy like a Pepperidge Farm Milano Coookie. Time to search for that recipe!

Madeleines

Recipe by Ina Garten

Makes 24 Madeleines

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pans, plus 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly butter and flour the madeleine pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.

With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

-Aaron John