Meyer Lemon Petites Madeleines

Yesterday was my neighbor's birthday and I wanted to make her a little treat. I knew I wanted to flavor the goods with the Meyer lemons James and I picked from my girlfriend's tree last week, and I wanted to make something that was feminine and sweet and would make the birthday girl feel special. Being such a sucker for specialty kitchen goods, I had bought a madeleine pan a few months ago and it had just been sitting there. Lonely. Unpurposed. It was time for it's kitchen debut.

I turned to the blogging hemisphere for madeleine recipes and ended up choosing and adapting Heidi Swanson's. Heidi's recipes are always pretty simplified and generally yield fine results. I feel confident and secure when going by her instructions. She's a wonderful partner in any culinary effort. You do need a madeleine pan to make these, of course, but if you don't have one, or the idea of buying one never entered your mind, I encourage you to go get one. If you like madeleines, that is. And make sure it's metal, and not the newer silicone kind. It will make much prettier cookies.

                    1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (6 ounces)
                    2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (for greasing pan)
                    3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
                    4 large eggs
                    a pinch fine-grain sea salt
                    2/3 cups sugar
                    zest of one large lemon
                    3 tablespoons lemon juice from the lemon
                    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
                    powdered sugar
                    a little flour for dusting the pan

         Special equipment: A madeleine baking pan, any size

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt the 1 1/2 sticks of butter in a small pot over medium heat until it's brown and smells nutty and fragrant. About 15 to 20 minutes. Strain with a mesh strainer and discard the solids. Cool the butter to room temperature.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and use it to brush the madeleine molds. Dust with flour and invert the pan tapping out any excess flour.

Whisk the eggs and salt on high speed with the whisking attachment in an electric mixer until thick, and the eggs have doubled or tripled in volume (about 3 minutes). Continuing to whisk on high speed, and slowly and steadily add the sugar. Whisk for 2 minutes or until the mixture is thick and ribbony. Then, fold in the lemon zest, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and vanilla with a rubber spatula, just until combined.

Sprinkle the flour on top of the egg batter, and gently fold it in. Next, fold in the butter. Stir gently, only enough to bring everything together.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each mold 2/3 -3/4 full. I used a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon for the petites madeleines and it worked perfectly.

Bake the madeleines for 12 - 14 minutes (7-10 minutes for smaller cookies), or until the edges of the madeleines are golden brown. Remove from the oven and invert the madeleines onto a cooling rack immediately. Cool on racks and dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 2 -3 dozen regular madeleines.


Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

Almond and Lavender Financiers

Spring is finally here and I am reveling in the explosion of blooms all around me. The wildflowers are particularly more vibrant this year after lots of intermittent rain and sunshine. The colorful petals are so enticing that I want to eat them - although I know most wouldn't taste very good. But I'm that kind of a girl. The kind that would eat flowers all the time if I could. When I was young I loved rose and violet flavored hard candies. A lassi with rose or orange blossom water might be one of my favorite things in the world. So last Monday I couldn't resist picking up some dried lavender in the bulk tea section at Henry's. I didn't know where it would end up, but I knew it was time to eat some flowers and ring in this spectacular season.

Financiers are tea cakes made with brown butter (beurre noisette), sugar, nuts, and egg whites. They have a wonderful bouncy, springy texture - no pun intended! If you've never made brown butter, I urge you to try. It imparts a very unique flavor that is rich and nutty - essential to the taste of the traditional financier. If you're not convinced (or just don't want to deal with making it), then you can substitute melted butter. I say that while making a funny face, crunching up my nose and squinting one eye. But I won't judge. Promise.

I infused the butter with lavender and the result was a very subtle essence. Not overpowering...just right. Raspberries are the more common choice, but I had strawberries in the fridge and thought they might be a better match for the lavender. If you want to experiment with another nut, I'll bet hazelnuts would be delicious.

          1/2 cup unsalted butter (or 1/3 cup melted butter if you're not making the beurre noisette)
          1 tablespoon dried lavender
          1/2 cup ground almonds
          1 cup powdered sugar
          1/4 cup flour
          4 egg whites
          a dash of salt
          2 strawberries, very thinly sliced

To make the beurre noisette, melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook. All the solids will separate from the liquid. Cook until the butter has reached a deep golden brown color. Remove from the heat and add the lavender. Allow the butter to infuse for 5-7 minutes, and strain. Once strained, you should have about 1/3 cup of the liquid left. Let cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 and position a rack in the center. Lightly grease the inside of 12 small muffin tins.

In a medium bowl, combine the almonds, sugar, flour, salt and egg whites. Mix on low speed until the ingredients have combined. Then add the brown butter and beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. The tops will be soft and sponge-like. Let cool on a wire rack before enjoying.

Makes 12 financiers.