13 Madeleines
What were you doing this past weekend? Perhaps shopping for valentines or enjoying some quiet time with your family? I was “working” in the kitchen. I can finally bake again! My new stove was installed last month, and it did feel like it took forever. The old one broke down right before Thanksgiving, so I had to spend all holidays without baked goods. Bummer! The new stove still needs some temperature calibration, but I already took it for its first ride with today’s recipe, so let’s just say “we’re getting to know each other”.
Saturday night seemed like a perfect day to host a small dinner gathering, which I haven’t done in a long time, and to showcase the results of the new oven’s baking. Saturday was also a special day to pose and remember how grateful I’m for what I have and to count my blessings. 13 years ago this time, I was at the doctor, and the diagnosis wasn’t good: I had cancer. Everything that I had to endure: all the surgeries and grueling treatment brought me onto the path to create a person I wanted to be. Every year, I try to connect to that energy of hope I held inside during the worst of times so it may propel me to continue on to yet another year.
It feels like I need this hope even more so now than before: having been dealing with both a new neurological disorder and an autoimmune condition that affected me rather acutely in the past 18 months, life does not feel steady anymore. Yet I push myself to grasp a tiny thread of hope that just like a new oven, I can somehow recalibrate myself again and produce something meaningful in life. It may take time and practice, and some things will need to be done in a different way, but there’re still sweetness and pillowy softness in little joyous moments to savor in and to cherish them on a newly found level of existing.
So, I’m opening my Baker’s Dozen year with a sugary treat to remind myself life is still sweet at times. I have no idea what lies ahead for me, what’s still to come and what’s behind. All I have is today. And today, I’m biting into this buttery sweet delight and thank the Universe for every single moment of the past 13 years. Dance with me for a moment in this simple joy and wish me many more madeleines up ahead! ❤️
What’s Cooking This Week
We often think of madeleines as little shell-like cookies full of butter and powdered sugar. In reality, there’re petite French sponge cakes. They’re quite easy to make if you get the batter to be the right consistency. They don’t require any fancy ingredients and could be made on a whim. Madeleines are generally made with vanilla or orange flavors, but I added a small twist of dried raspberries in the batter and dressed them up with pink confectionery glaze. They’re great for the upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration or on any other day when you’re in a mood for something sweet.
Raspberry Madeleines
This recipe is quite simple and uses ingredients you already have at home. You can skip adding dried raspberries, however, they do add a nice tart touch when you bite in into this little cake.
The most important step in this recipe is to properly cream sugar and eggs till it resembles a pale frothy mass. It may take up to 5 minutes.
Add vanilla and raspberry flavors and beat to combine.
Combine flour with salt and baking powder, gradually add to egg and sugar mixture beating on the lowest speed.
Add melted butter and beat to combine.
Fold in dried raspberries using a rubber spatula.
Cover and chill batter in the fridge for at least an hour.
30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Brush the pans with melted butter to prevent sticking.
Using a spoon or a scoop fill the madeleine pans with batter. They don’t have to look very even as they’ll spread out during baking.
These madeleines are a bit thicker than regular ones due to added raspberries and the consistency of gluten free batter so bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops are raised and spring back. Cool slightly before removing from pans and decorating.
To make the glaze, use cold milk, powdered sugar and a bit of raspberry flavor. Adding 1-2 drops of food color is optional (use natural colors if available).
Dip madeleines into sugar glaze and decorate with dried raspberries and sugar pearls.
Wait (if you can) till the glaze is dry to eat them as they’re quite addictive.
Leave a few to share with others (if you’re feeling generous).
They are soft and buttery inside and full of sugar and tart berries.
It looks like a butterfly full of delicate strength and hope.
13 madeleines (12 lived through and 1 is just bitten into) to remind me how far I’ve come and hope for the best.
Raspberry Madeleines
Ingredients
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup gf flour I used King Arthur Measure per Measure, sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 ts salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp raspberry flavor
- 1 oz dried raspberries
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk cold
- 1/2 tsp raspberry flavor
- dried raspberries and sugar pearls to top
- 1-2 red food drops optional
Instructions
- The most important step in this recipe is to properly cream sugar and eggs till it resembles a pale frothy mass. It may take up to 5 minutes.
- Add vanilla and raspberry flavors and beat to combine.
- Combine flour with salt and baking powder, gradually add to egg and sugar mixture beating on the lowest speed.
- Add melted butter and beat to combine.
- Fold in dried raspberries using a rubber spatula.
- Cover and chill batter in the fridge for at least an hour.
- minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
- Brush the pans with melted butter to prevent sticking.
- Using a spoon or a scoop fill the madeleine pans with batter. They don’t have to look very even as they’ll spread out during baking.
- These madeleines are a bit thicker than regular ones due to added raspberries so bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops are raised and spring back.
- Cool slightly before removing from pans and decorating.
- To make the glaze, use cold milk, powdered sugar and a bit of raspberry flavor. Adding 1-2 drops of food color is optional (use natural colors if available).
- Dip madeleines into sugar glaze and decorate with dried raspberries and sugar pearls.