Chocolate-Orange Madeleines

From the kitchen ofOne Perfect Bite...I have a weakness for cakes or cookies that combine chocolate with a bit of orange. Having said that, it will come as no surprise to learn that one of my contributions to the bake sale I mentioned to you earlier in the week, would be a cookie that used them both. Many will argue that madeleines are small sponge cakes rather than cookies. Traditionally, they are baked in molds that have a shell-like depression which gives them their distinctive shape. The original versions of these petit cakes were made with a genoise cake batter that is somewhat lighter than a sponge but no less delicious. This version is heavier and has a more compact crumb that its classic cousin, but the flavor is so sublime that you will not miss the lightness. I found this recipe why scanning through the cookies on the Food52 website. The photo of the madeleines was arresting and caused me to give more than a cursory glance to the recipe. If the orange and chocolate combination had not stopped me, the recipe's minimal use of sugar was a clear sign that this cookie had to be tried. And try I did. And did. And did. I, obviously, really loved these cookies and recommend them to all of you who favor things that are not too sweet and border on sophistication in their simplicity. You will like these. Be sure not to over-bake them. I pulled mine from the oven at the 12 minute mark to assure they would retain some moisture and not be too dry. I have only one madeleine pan, so I made 12 of the cookies in the molds and used miniature muffin cups for the rest of the batter. I think these are best eaten the day that they are made but they keep reasonably well if they are frozen or stored in an air-tight container.  I hope you'll give this simple recipe a try. You won't be sorry. Here is how the chocolate-orange madeleines are made.

Chocolate-Orange Madeleines...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food52

Ingredients:
1 stick of unsalted butter
3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
zest from 1/2 an orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons orange liqueur
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 ounces of good semisweet chocolate
pinch salt

Directions:
1) Position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 360 F degrees.
2) Place butter in bowl of an electric stand mixer and whip on high speed for 2 minutes.
3) Add sugar and orange zest, and keep mixing for another minute or so on high speed. Add eggs one by one. Add another one only after the previous one is well mixed. Add salt, vanilla and orange liqueur and mix for a little longer.
4) Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a separate bowl. On low speed, add flour mixture to wet ingredients in 3 batches, mixing just until incorporated. Over beating will make dough tough.
5) Cut chocolate into small pieces. Melt chocolate in the microwave for about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, or until it just starts to melt. Mix well to melt all pieces. Cool for few minutes and then incorporate into dough with a spatula.
6) Oil a Madeleine pan and sprinkle a bit of sugar in each indentation. Put a very full tablespoon of batter into each indentation to just fill it. The dough is very sticky, but try to flatten it a bit.
7) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cookies have risen (mostly in the middle) and springy. Let pan cool for 15 minutes and then turn cookies out onto a cooling rack, shell side up. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yield: 18 cookies.







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Madeleines a l’ancienne - Old-Fashioned Madeleines

“Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.”
                                                        Marcel Proust

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I want to begin with a spoiler alert for the romantics among you. I have been known, usually without malice, to burst a bubble or two. Tonight I fear I'm going to do that to lovers of Proust and his beloved madeleines. I suspect that everyone knows that the madeleine is the shell-shaped confection that inspired his legendary reverie in Remembrance of Things Past. You'll recall, I'm sure, the scene in the book where the narrator dips a madeleine into a cup of tea. Bits of the cookie settle into the tea and when it is stirred, a spoonful contains crumbs that release the flood of memories that fill the rest of the novel. There is one small problem. That doesn't happen when you soak a typical madeleine in tea. There are purists who, in the interest of transparency, test such things and they say the Proustian madeleine does not exist. I suspect he used Proustian poetic license, but some guys just can't get a break. It seems that scholars agree that an early version of Remembrance of Things Past was inspired by a piece of toast. I can't write much about toast, but I can share this wonderful and unusual recipe for madeleines with you. It is unusual because the soft cookies are leavened with yeast. Don't let that scare you off.  They are really easy to make. I really love these petite cakes and I consider the recipe I'm featuring tonight to be a treasure. Don't stress about the use of European butter if it is not readily available. I often make these using standard sweet butter. While European butter has 3% more butterfat than brands typically found in the supermarket, the madeleines made with 80% will bedelicious as well. The recipe that follows comes from Saveur magazine.

Madeleines a l’ancienne - Old-Fashioned Madeleines

Ingredients:
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 lemon, for zest
1-3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsalted European-style butter, melted + butter for molds
4 eggs
salt to taste

Directions:
1) In a pastry bowl, combine whole eggs and sugar until mixture turns white and sugar is completely dissolved.
2) Add flour, salt, and yeast with a spatula. Then add lemon zest. Add melted butter. Set aside.
3) Brush madeleine molds with melted butter, then dust with flour, shaking out any excess.
4) Using a pastry bag or a spoon, fill each madeleine mold 3/4 full.
5) Set filled pans aside and let them rest for at least 20 minutes. During this time pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
6) Cook for 8 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes. Turn cookies out and continue to cool on a wire rack. Yield: 24 to 30 madeleines.

Cook's Notes:
1) Let madeleines sit for 2 hours before serving. Store in a dry place.
2) For best results let dough rest for 2 hours before placing in molds.

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