Madeleines

Hello :) I hope you haven't forgotten about me, even after such a long break. All the long holiday celebrating made me a little lazy, then there was a trip on top of that, and my computer managed to break down, too. I hope everything will be fixed soon and I'll be able to function normally in the virtual world again.

madeleines

Let me come back briefly to the trip, because today's post is connected to it. It looks like my first post of the year is going to be a sweet one. I wonder how the year will end :)

The first time I knowingly ate madeleines was last summer in Spain. There they came in the form of small muffins, tasted like mini sponge cakes, and were eaten mostly for breakfast. The second time I got to try them was in Paris, during our New Year's Eve trip. They taste almost the same as the Spanish ones, but most often I saw them in the shape of a little shell, although I saw the "muffin" kind, too. Of course I bought a madeleine pan and had to test it right away. While baking them, though, I was reminded of some memory of madeleines that I must have eaten back when I still lived in Poland. I remember them as crumbly, almost buttery cookies, but also shell-shaped. What's the story with them? Do you know them? Do you like them?

madeleines

There will be more about Paris, and not only about the food. I have a great many photos and it will take me a while to get them ready to publish. I'll try to show you this beautiful city as often as I can, though. Today I'm leaving you with the madeleines and encouraging you to try them. Whether for breakfast, dipped in coffee, or maybe just because.

madeleines

I used grated orange zest in mine. You can also add rose water or another flavoring.

Directions – Madeleines:

Melt the butter. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar and honey until the mixture becomes light. Add the flour, almonds, salt, baking powder, the melted butter and the flavoring, and mix well. Pour the batter into the molds and bake for about 10-15 minutes at 160°C (320°F) (depending on the size of the molds) or until they turn brown. I like them more browned, because then they're a little crisp on the outside and soft in the middle.

Enjoy!

Source (with slightly changed proportions)