Messing with a Classic

Am I ever not prepared for it to be Monday. 

Love, Loss closed yesterday after a great run.  I'm really going to miss those ladies--it's one of the best times I've ever had acting in a show.  At the cast party on Saturday, the actress who played Gingy said "You know, I really like those cookies you made a couple of years ago."

I'm sure you've had this happen;  cue the guessing game where it takes about five minutes to determine exactly which cookie the person is talking about, both because it was years ago and because you have made so many different types of cookies that it isn't immediately apparent which one it could be.  In this case, it turned out that it was madeleines.

I've never read Proust, but I'll give him credit for fixating on the madeleine.  It's a soft, buttery cookie with a hint of lemon and, ideally, a little bit of a crisp brown texture to the exterior.  In short, it's a little bit of sunshine in cookie form.



When well-chilled, the batter develops sort of crust on top that
gives when you push down on it.  That's a good sign that it's ready to go.

The key to madeleines is to chill the batter really well, for at least three hours.  The batter takes all of ten minutes to put together, and then you want to make the cookies right away.  However, chilling the batter gives it a consistency that really makes a difference in the cookies. 

Although I had the ingredients for a classic madeleine, I wanted to try something a little different and substituted grapefruit zest for the lemon and honey for part of the sugar.  The result had a slightly floral quality from the honey, although the grapefruit substitution wasn't obvious. 

Grapefruit Honey Madeleines

Adapted from Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 tsp. baking powder

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp. honey

4 tsp. vanilla extract

10 tbsp. melted butter, at room temperature

Zest of one large ruby grapefruit

Combine the sifted flour and baking powder in a small bowl.  In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat together the butter and eggs until they are pale yellow.  Then add the grapefruit zest, honey and vanilla and mix briefly.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the flour/baking powder mixture.  Then fold in the butter mixture--it will look like it doesn't want to incorporate, but eventually will.

Press a large piece of plastic wrap right onto the batter and refrigerate the bowl for at least three hours.

When you are ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Depending on the type of mold you are using, prepare it--I have a silicone mold and just spritz it with a touch of baking spray with flour.

Fill the molds almost full with batter.  The great thing about these cookies is that you don't have to spread the batter in the molds particularly well--the batter will spread to fill the molds while baking.

Bake for approximately 13-14 minutes, until the cookies have risen and turned golden.  If you touch the cookie, it should spring back a bit when done.  Cool the cookies on a baking rack.

Makes 24 madeleines, enough for David to take to a Super Bowl party and to feed a cast and crew of seven.