I have finally made a worthy madeleine, and it is a thing of beauty. They are cakey and tender in the middle, crisp at the edges, shell-shaped with well-defined ridges, and lemony in an understated, floral kind of way.
I got some inspiration recently at my most favorite afternoon tea place in the world, the Taj Boston. They have harpists and violinists, for cryin' out loud, and I love the beautiful china. I hate it when tea is served in stainless steel pots. But look at these amazing desserts. There are (working from the top down) chocolate-covered strawberries, lavender sables, cornmeal scones, currant scones, lemon curd and Devonshire cream, macarons, citrus tarts, pistachio financiers, opera tortes, and, of course, little madeleines. Sugar rush, anybody??
What obstacle lay in my madeleine path? For years I had this beautiful mini-madeleine pan, because I love all things bite-sized. But though they were tasty and developed that hump the madeleine is known for, they never took on those beautiful ridges. So, in my opinion, it wasn't a proper madeleine. I wondered if it was some error of mine or a bad recipe. Finally, I got a full-sized madeleine pan, one that produced beautiful ridges on the cookies. Only they came out burnt brown, even though I opted for the lower end of the baking time in the recipe. But determination won out, and I think these madeleines are perfect. Maybe some lavender or Earl Grey varieties are up next?
After the madeleine batter rested overnight, it became thick and developed air bubbles, like a yeasted dough. The batter is then scooped into the pan. The first batch came out burnt, even though I followed the recipe! I shaved off a couple of minutes the next time, and they came out to golden perfection.
