Lemon Madeline

I’ve been piping Madeline at Craft but I hadn’t yet made the batter and I’ve been dying to try. Over the 4th of July weekend I kept wanting to try but I didn’t have the ingredients or the tools. So Wednesday night I decided I wanted to do a google plus hang out in my kitchen and make David Lebovitz Lemon Madeline. I just made some slight changes.I also decided not to make the glaze he suggests because its really hot and humid in NYC and I didn’t think it would travel well.

Lemon Medeline

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 130g granulated sugar
• rounded 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 175g flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
• zest of one small lemon
• 120g unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Place the Madeline Mold in the Fridge
2. Brown the butter by placing it over medium/high heat and stirring just till it changes color. It will take about 12 minutes and as soon as it becomes a warm amber color take it off the heat
3. Strain the butter into a glass bowl and let it cool.
4. In the bowl whip the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt for 5 minutes until frothy and thickened.
5. Spoon the flour and baking powder into a sifter or mesh strainer and use a spatula to slowly fold in the flour as you sift it over the batter. 
6. Add the lemon zest to the cooled butter, then dribble the butter into the batter, slowly folding until just incorporated
7. Using a rubber Spatula scoop the batter into a medium pastry bag (I did two small bags) and seal the back end of the bag. (A Tip I learned at Craft: Place the bag over a bain (or large deep cup) when pouring in batter and it will be easier to fill the bag without making a mess!)
8. place the batter in the fridge for an hour or up to 12 hours.
9. Baking the madeleines, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
10. Pipe batter (directly perpandicular to the pan) placing the tip in the center of each indentation and putting in batter till its about 3/4 full.
11. Lightly but firmly tap the tray on the counter to release any air bubbles
12. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cakes just feel set.

These are best eaten day off, but they made it to two offices the next day and were enjoyed greatly. Though a lot of people didn’t know what Madeline were. I mean, Proust. I guess in America to have the same Proust reaction I’d have to bring around funnel cakes or something of that sort.

Blueberry, White Chocolate Chip Cookies

My good friend Deanna moved to Los Angeles earlier this year and I miss her like mad. I really wanted to do something special for her birthday and decided to send her some cookies. This concoction seemed like a good idea but I left it too the last minute and if I had the time I would have scrapped them and tried again. I just wasn’t happy with the texture or the flavor. They didn’t melt at all. That means I need more butter, right? It just doesn’t taste like they are worth the calories!

Rather then remake them, I went running around NYC looking for a cookie tin and ended up with a smurfette lunchbox. I SO wish I took a photo of it!  I’m really happy that I found that but with the rush, I went straight to Fedex. I was not happy with the cost to over night the package. Damn. How do small bakeries afford that?

I’d love any advice on how I might make this recipe more special. Also, would real blueberries be better than dried ones?

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup dried blueberries
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Beat the first five ingredients in one bowl.
3. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a second bowl.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir in the blueberries and white chocolate chips
5. Roll into balls and place on un-greased cookie sheets. These didn’t melt at all, so you’ll have to make them the exact shape you want.
6. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops start to turn golden.