Madeleines: Tips & Techniques

[Daniel]

I made some last week that were really good.. Yellow corn flour, roasted garlic, a pinch of rosemary, and some truffle oil..

[misgabi]

I remeber this topic from a while ago (and my husband still talks about the experiment!!). click

Buttery, garlicy, potatoey YUM It was also the post that made me go and buy madeline pans (yay now savoury and sweet)

[petite tête de chou]

I remeber this topic from a while ago (and my husband still talks about the experiment!!).  click

Buttery, garlicy, potatoey YUM   It was also the post that made me go and buy madeline pans (yay now savoury and sweet) 

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Absolutely! Wonderful, delicious potato madeleines. The variations of potatoes, herbs, cheeses and crumbs are seemingly endless and adaptable to what you have on hand.

[Steven Blaski]

Thanks, everyone, for your great ideas and links. Looks like rosemary (usually with parm) is the common demoninator.

[Marlene]

And of course Maggie's Potato Madelaines

[nimzo]

I seem to remember having a black olive version somewhere, might be work a try.

[helenjp]

For a while herb madeleines were popular here in Japan. Not rosemary, but herbs such as chervil with a more delicate flavor, and especially ones that look pretty with a feathery litle sprig dropped on top of the batter before baking.

[JerzeeTomato]

I have once again taken up the great madeline this time for thanksgiving. I have made so many recipes that I now am perplexed. My husband having grown up in France is no help here. He says the majority of madelines he ate in France were stale and more solid than cakey. I have made a few recipes CI, epicurious, Dorie Greenspan's last night. Dorie's flavor was right on the money but mine came light and cakey. I froze them to see if a good solid freeze would firm them.

I read David Lebovitz about blé sucré and the syrup and that fascinated me.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007...est_madele.html

http://www.doriegreenspan.com/dorie_greens...o-hesitate.html

Maybe the syrup firms them up.

Baking blogs are all over the place about the madeline issue.

Do you have a favorite recipe?

Does your version come firm or light?

Is there a trick that I am unaware of?

Was my husband the only one who associates firm with stale?

Chime in folks

[LoneSavant]

I adore madelines, and the most fool-proof and least dry/crumbly/powdery recipe I've found yet is Rose Levy Berenbaum's in her Christmas Cookies book- - -the recipe is for chocolate madelines, but I've had great success in substitution, to make everything from jasmine madelines to white pepper-honey madelines. Highly recommended.

[emmalish]

I've just been using Dorie Greenspan's recipe from Baking From My Home to Yours. I find they stay pretty moist and cakey, and yet when they're fresh from the oven, they have a nice crunch to the bottom. I've only tried the traditional madeleines with lemon zest so far.

I just bought Pierre Hermé's Chocolate Desserts today and I think the chocolate madeleines will be the first thing I try.

[JerzeeTomato]

I imagine the chocolate would be moister and more dense so I may have to try that.

I have also postulated that the reason why the crumb is not as dense is because of the butter. I used regular old american butter. Oh dopey me! I want to try it with european fat butter. Plugra perhaps. I keep forgetting these recipes were orginally intended for european butter.

[Patricia Austin]

Just joining this topic . . .

I have tried probably a half dozen different recipes, my current favorite is the Rigo recipe with added orange oil, lemon oil and orange blossom water with the option of vanillla bean butter. The humps are dramatic, and I have been able to freeze the batter for up to a few weeks with excellent results. I like them dipped in hot chocolate.

I have lots of people who think there is something inside of the madeleine. Anyone know of a filled madeleine?

Patricia

[snowangel]

I'm noting that in Dorie's recent book, she mentions fridging the battter for the madeleines for at least 3 hours before baking to get a really nice hump. Comments from the pros? (I have just recently become a baker.)

[LoneSavant]

I've made madeleines since I was 15, and always been pretty damned good at it (in fact, as a grounded 15-year old, I baked a batch that my mom offered to un-ground me for possession of the whole thing...talk about food having power...)

A decade later, I baked my usual batch, but tried out a new one-third-size shell pan-- the cups are more like an inch and a half, rather than four inches or so.

Obviously, I took them out of the oven earlier, and all that, but when they were done they had a powdery, crumbly crumb, and were dryer than my humor on a bad day. They almost seemed bubbly or spongy on the inside, but the "cell-walls" were brittle and hard.

Was it a fluke? Or do I need to alter the recipe in some ways to accomodate a significantly smaller cake?

[alanamoana]

you shouldn't have to alter your recipe, just the baking time. to be honest, even if you think you made the recipe correctly, it is very likely you mis-measured something. it happens to the best of us and it sounds more like there is something out of whack with the ingredients rather than a baking issue.

i often have students assure me and 'cross their heart, hope to die', etc. that they measured something correctly and when i have them do it again, they say 'oops' as they realize they doubled something and halved something else.

[LoneSavant]

you shouldn't have to alter your recipe, just the baking time.  to be honest, even if you think you made the recipe correctly, it is very likely you mis-measured something.  it happens to the best of us and it sounds more like there is something out of whack with the ingredients rather than a baking issue.

i often have students assure me and 'cross their heart, hope to die', etc. that they measured something correctly and when i have them do it again, they say 'oops' as they realize they doubled something and halved something else.

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yeah, for the record, I never swore I didn't mess it up...I just said I'd made 'em a million times:wink:

you're more than likely right, I was just curious on foam-cake re-sizing, and if I'd eventually reach a point where things had to change to maintain quality.

[alanamoana]

maybe with something like a genoise, but with the madeleines, you should be fine. i have a mini madeleine pan and don't have to reformulate the recipe to use it.

it's all good...

[violetfox]

I'm starting to play with madeleines in different flavors and am looking for your favorite base recipe. I've used several and they seem to vary quite a bit. One called for AP flour, another for cake flour. I certainly preferred the version with cake flour. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[Aloha Steve]

I made Dorie Greenspan's recipe from her book "Baking: From My Home to Yours"

Everyone who eat one thought them terrific tasting.

[minas6907]

The one I like is from "The Professional Pastry Chef." They come out very very nicely, let me know if you want the recipe. The madeleine base is good to work from, but there are also recipes in the book for Gianduja, Lemon Verbena, and White Chocolate and Almond madeleines.

[violetfox]

Thanks to both of you - I will try both. The perfect excuse to buy both books!

[Genkinaonna]

I like the Gisslen Professional Baking version. It was our textbook in culinary school and it just seems to be really forgiving of modifications like adding flavorings, etc, without losing the feel of being a madeleine. The one from Baking from My Home to Yours tasted good, just not like a madeleine to me. I don't think I've made the one from the Professional Pastry Chef, but pretty much everything else I've made from that book has been very good, so I'd assume it would be a good place to start as well.

[DanM]

Bump

 

What is the best pan for madeline's? Non stick, aluminum, silicon, or other? FWIW, I typically avoid nonstick plans. Are there specific brands that I should consider?

[Lisa Shock]

Avoid silicone, it's terrible for cakes, etc. they will stick to it and, since it's an efficient insulator, the tops will cook before the sides. The plain steel or aluminum pans are fine.

[nef]

These gluten free madeleines are yummy!