By Nancy Robards Thompson
I thought I couldn’t love a sweet more than chocolate. Frankly, I thought there wasn’t a confection in existence that could even come close. Alas, I have a new love, a cookie called Madeleine.
Marcel Proust must have felt the same way as he wrote the following in Remembrance of Things Past : “She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called ‘petites Madeleines,’ which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim’s shell……. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses….”.
That doesn’t even begin to explain it. Once I discovered this cookie, I had to learn how to make them at home. Much like one of the heroines in my new three-book Special Edition series Celebrations, Inc., which will be released in September, I’ve been taste-testing Madeleine recipes.
Here’s my favorite. Enjoy!
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
First, melt the butter and allow it to cool while you make the batter. In a small bowl place the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until well blended.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted (about 5 minutes). Add the vanilla extract and beat to combine.
Sift a small amount of flour over the egg mixture and, using a large rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the beaten eggs to lighten it. Sift the rest of the flour over the egg mixture and fold in being sure not to over mix or the batter will deflate.
Whisk a small amount of the egg mixture into the melted butter to lighten it. Then fold in the cooled melted butter in three additions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or several hours, until slightly firm.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Generously butter two 12-mold madeleine pans. Dust the molds with flour and tap out the excess. (Could spray pans with Bakers Joy instead.) (Make sure the pans are well greased or the madeleines will stick and be hard to remove.)
Drop a generous tablespoonful of the batter into the center of each prepared mold, leaving the batter mounded in the center. (This will result in the classic “humped” appearance of the Madeleines.)
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers spring back when lightly touched. Do not over bake these cookies or they will be dry.
Mmmm….cookies.
Congrats on the 3 book series!! Tell us more!
Thanks so much for asking, Marcie! The Celebrations, Inc. series features three friends from my book Accidental Heiress: A.J. Sherwood-Antonelli, Caroline Coopersmith, and Pepper Merriweather.
The three women pool their talents and resources to start a catering company called Celebrations, Inc., which, over the course of the series, becomes the subject of a reality television show about a catering company, Catering to Dallas.
Each friend brings a different talent to the table.
In TEXAS WEDDING (September 2012) , A.J. is a master chef who has been stuck in a rut as a sous chef for too long. She’s eager for the chance to run her own kitchen. Just as her professional dreams come true, she meets Army Sergeant Shane Harrison who makes her question everything she thought she ever wanted out of life and love.
In TEXAS MAGIC (October 2012), pastry chef Caroline has been burned by men who have used her to get to her well-connected family. So, it stands to reason that she is cautious about getting close to newspaper editor Drew Montgomery, who has an unshakeable conviction that a person must go after what he or she wants in life (if not, what’s the point of living?). Suddenly Caroline realizes she has spent too many years doing what others expected of her…now it’s time to follow her heart.
In TEXAS CHRISTMAS (November 2012), Pepper was born into the lap of luxury, but when her father’s empire collapses under the weight of a financial scandal, not only does she find herself penniless, but also a social outcast. The negative attention caused by the scandal forces her to leave Catering to Dallas and dig down deep to find the strength to start over. When she meets wealthy recluse Robert Macintyre and his handicapped son, Pepper’s eyes are opened to a new world of possibilities. This down-to-earth man and his son prove that money can’t buy the most important things in life.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading the series as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Thanks Nancy. I have book 1 on my list to order as soon as it’s up on eHarlequin.
Yum!!! You could dip them halfway in chocolate, too
.
Susan
Susan, that’s the definition of nirvana!
Nancy, congrats on the series. Sounds delicious–madeleines AND your series.
Thanks so much, Chris!
Those cookies look delicious. I have to confess that I have never heard of them. I will try the recipe though. And the books. I know I’ll love them.
Kathleen
Thanks so much, Kathleen! Please let me know what you think of both.
Here I thought I had every baking tin known to man and I don’t have even one madeleine tin never mind two. Now I will just have go searching in kitchen shops (such hardship).
Your series sounds delightful and I love that the books are coming out one right after the other. It makes it so much easier to make sure I get them all.
Linda, I’m so bad I had to get the regular-sized Madeleine pan AND the mini, because it was so cute.
I hope you love AJ, Caroline and Pepper’s stories. They’ve become like dear friends. Only readers and writers would understand.
P.S. Linda, here are links to the Madeleine pans.
Regular sized: http://tinyurl.com/csx9lut
Mini: http://tinyurl.com/d8y7z6c
Hi Nancy – those cookies (or biscuits as we call them Downunder) look fabulous. Must go and see if I can find a Madeleine pan. Really looking forward to reading your new series too.
Thanks so much, Helen! I just posted links to the pans (under Linda S’s post). They really are a delicious treat, especially with a cup of tea. Just beware… they’re quite addictive.
We studied Proust in my French class in college, Nancy. That whole section about Madeleines is such a powerful description of how sense memories work, isn’t it? And you couldn’t make Madeleines without using the proper shaped pan, could you?
Yum, you are making me so hungry!
I’m wondering if readers would like us to write about our favorite recipes more often…
looks delicious, i want one…. i must try the recipe.
The Mozilla Foundation has now sent a cease and desist letter, warning Gamma International not to use the name of Firefox, its open source browser, as camouflage for the programme. cheap louis vuitton bags http://cheaplouisvuittonbagsus23.webs.com/
In an effort to keep up with the social aspect of LinkedIn, members are encouraged to “like” and discuss each other’s work.IE10 supports only Windows 8 and Windows 7, leaving Windows Vista stuck with IE9, just as Windows XP has been frozen at IE8. [url=http://top5louisvuittonoutletstoreonline.webs.com/]louis vuitton outlet store[/url] louis vuitton outlet store