decisions, decisions 05.08.
Sweet Indulgence: Coconut Madeleines
Source: Food Network (Ina Garten)
A while back I went out to purchase a madeleine pan as I did not have one. I thought it would be a quick, simple task which would involve walking into a store and walking out with one a few minutes later. Well, not quite. I walked into the store, went over to the madeleine pan section and before me were a million (OK, slight exaggeration) different types of madeleine pans. There were dark pans, light pans, non-stick pans, 12 cavity pans, 6 cavity pans, regular-sized Madeleine pans and mini-madeleine pans. This was going to take a while! Being the type of person who has to weigh the pros and cons of each choice when faced with a decision, I ended up spending a loooonnnggg time in the madeleine pan section as store employees watched me nervously (probably with one finger on a panic button)! Having shaved a lot of time off of my life in that aisle, I finally did come to a decision, but then I did something very uncharacteristic of me…I bought only one pan!
First butter and flour the pans (or pan in this case).
Next, beat the sugar, vanilla and eggs until fluffy and pale yellow. Then add in the butter and mix. In the meantime, sift the dry ingredients together.
Once your wet ingredients are all done, then fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula.
Fill the madeleine pans with batter. Some people like to pipe the batter in, but I just spooned it in. Because I only had one pan, I had to bake the first batch, take them out and let the pan cool, wash the pan and then grease and flour it again. Two pans would have made life a bit easier.
These were nice and crispy on the outside with a cake-like texture inside. They were a little heavy which I’m not sure is normal as I’ve heard others describe madeleines as light and fluffy (maybe my eggs needed to be beaten longer?). Although these were good, they were definitely not great or excellent. I can’t see myself making this version again, however, I will definitely try other versions of madeleines. One thing is certain though, they are beautiful little treats to look at!
FINAL VERDICT:
Taste: 3 sweet burps out of 5
Level of Difficulty: Easy
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RECIPE
(Retrieved from Food Network)
Coconut Madeleines
- 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pans, plus 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- Confectioners’ sugar, optional
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly butter and flour the madeleine pans.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.
With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.