...well, I got my rainy afternoon yesterday, but it wasn't until this morning that I finally finished the little suckers :P
Obstacles to success:
1. Finding a madeleine pan: I've never made madeleines and couldn't think of anyone I knew who has, but I figured I could just run over to the supermarket and pick up my own pan--not so easy. After scouring the housewares, baking, and crafts sections of 4 different stores, I went back home frustrated and pan-less. I called Grant fuming and expecting him to miraculously conjure up a madeleine pan for me, but even after calling his mom, I was still pan-less. Grant told me to just bake something else, but all I wanted to make was madeleines! I'm infatuated with cute things, and these little shell-shaped cakes are just too adorable to pass up so easily.
Feeling more defeated than I have in a long time, I put away all the sugar and flour I had already gotten out of the cupboards and said I would just have to order my own pan and try the recipe some other time. AND JUST AT THAT MOMENT the phone rang--Grant's mom calling back to save the day! She had found someone in town who happened to have a madeleine pan and was willing to lend it to me--super yay! Totally ecstatic, I ran over to pick it up (thanking her profusely for yet again being way too nice to me) and hurried back home to start baking at the bright hour of 7 p.m. :D
2. Oily, wiggly madeleines?: I followed the Milk and Cookies recipe pretty closely, converting from metric to US units (why can't we just use the metric system like everyone else in the world??!!!), substituting granulated and golden brown sugar for caster and muscovado sugar, and applesauce for pureed apples. She mentioned that her madeleines turned out a bit too dry, so I added an extra tablespoon of applesauce. My measurements weren't exactly accurate after converting from grams to cups/tablespoons but seemed close enough. However, I did mistake 180degrees CELSIUS for 180degrees FAHRENHEIT (It seemed awfully low for baking but I was too excited to think into it more :P) and didn't realize until the cakes had been in the oven for 5 min...I immediately took them out, preheated to 350degrees F instead, and tried again but feared the consequences of my mistake. The result? My first batch of madeleines popped out of the pan fine but were pretty flat, wiggly/spongy, and very oily. I wondered if I should have kept them in longer, so I tried that with the next dozen...about the same result, but they ended up sticking badly to the pan and I had to dump all of them (Puddles the dog stole a few scraps). Finally, I decided to try one more time, leaving out the extra tablespoon of applesauce and greasing the pan really well. This time, the madeleines were a bit more plump and a lot more firm, but still kind of oily. I lay them out on paper towels overnight to see if they would help, and in the morning, saw that a lot of oil had been absorbed. I brushed them with sugar and then thought I would try baking them for a few more minutes, just to see what would happen. After 10 more minutes at 350, I was greeted with 15 pretty decent-looking madeleines--golden and slightly crisp on the edges, light and spongy but firm throughout, no longer oily! I brushed them with sugar again since most of it had been absorbed into the cakes during the re-bake, and voila--not-too-shabby first-time Apple Cinnamon Madeleines!
3. Clouds: I couldn't wait to photograph my newest creations, but the sky was still dark and cloudy from yesterday's rain, and I ended up taking pictures in my dining room with some artificial light despite my better judgment. Of course, photos from my point-and-shoot are never great in general, so these will do for now, but I might try again later today when the sun comes out.
I'll definitely have to try these again when I get my own pan--regardless of what they look like, they taste amazing: not too sweet, fragrant and fruity, just enough apple and cinnamon flavors. I've also found several other madeleines recipes from Milk and Cookies and
Tartelette that I would love to try--I think I'm obsessed with these cute little cakes!
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Apple Cinnamon Madeleines
12 madeleines
1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (plus more to grease pan)
1 3/4 tbsp light brown sugar (or light muscovado if you have it)
2 3/4 tbsp granulated sugar (or superfine/caster if you have it)
1 egg, lightly whisked
1/4 c. applesauce
granulated sugar for coating
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Brush madeleine pan with butter.
In a small bowl sift together flour, baking powder and cinnamon.
Cream butter and sugars in another bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs and applesauce and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and fold until incorporated.
Place a tablespoon or so of the batter in each mold and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and lightly coat madeleines with granulated sugar.
(creme brulee and "dark chocolate decadence" from Finale)
