Making Madeleine: A Classic French Sweet

Savoring a madeleine with a cup of strong coffee has always been a favorite treat of mine. As they do for most of us, madeleines instantly conjure up memories of French markets, artful daily living, and the truly marvelous experience of a French cafe and patisserie.

I love France, and I love food, and I am extremely happy the two are often synonymous. Reliving my memories and time spent in France is such a joy for me, as I view that country and time in my life with such fondness. Yet even for those who haven't yet had a chance to explore France, the mysteries and nuances of French tastes can still be experienced and explored.

Which brings us back to the madeleine! These beautiful cakes get their distinctive shape from the pan in which they are baked - a metal baking pan with a unique shell depression. Madeleines are typically found in either two forms: a pound cake variety, or a sponge-cake variety. (My father loves to classify anything of this sort as a "Cookie Cake," which is honestly a very good description for a Madeleine). Madeleines can be made in a variety of flavors - most typically either lemon or almond. These lovely cakes are the perfect companion for tea and coffee. Enjoy them for breakfast, afternoon tea, or dessert.

Madeleines are simple and easy to make. I have included for you below a recipe made with poundcake adapted from Madeleine Kamman's book, "The Making of a Cook." She writes of pound cake, "Poundcakes owe their name to their composition, which is always 1 pound each of flour, sugar, eggs and butter. In French, they are called quartre-quarts, or "four-quarters," for 1/4 pound of each main ingredient." Since many of us do not own scales to weigh ingredients, the recipe below is written in measurements for your convenience.

Start with the classic plain or lemon madeleine, or create your own unique flavors using any of didi davis food's innovative, hand-crafted Sugar Blends.

LEMON MADELEINE

2 cups sifted flour

1 1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

didi davis food Lemon Sugar

3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cream the butter and add sugar. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in beaten egg whites and lemon juice.

Butter the madeleine pan, sprinkling the insides of each shell depression generously with didi davis food Lemon Sugar. Drop batter into each sugared and buttered shell, filling it to only about 3/4 full.

Bake at 325 degrees until done, before any slight browning begins. Delicieux!