Madeleines

I've been meaning to make treats for Boxcar Dad (Shannon's dad) since he told me he liked my marshmallow cookies. Basically, I'm a pushover. One catch, he lives in Washington and I live in Massachusetts.  I wanted to pick something that would ship well and would stay fresh. I picked Barefoot Contessa's Madeleines!

Ingredients*

• 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pans, plus 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly butter and flour the madeleine pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.

With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. 

*I changed the recipe a bit. First off i doubled it. Instead of coconut I put in about a tablespoon of lemon zest. Instead of doubling the vanilla i put in one tsp vanilla and one teaspoon almond extract.  I've done this recipe as Ina intended and it is delicious, I just wanted to play a little bit. 

 

These are delicious and so easy and I'm a little hesitant to package them up and send them off.