Madeleines

The first time I ate madeleines a few years ago, I fell in love with it right away.  My Japanese friend baked some and brought it to our Thanksgiving party.  After tasting it, I vowed to try to make some myself as soon as I can. It finally happened last week when after months of pondering, I gave in and bought my first ever madeleine pan. I was a bit scared at first to try it after reading some complicated recipes. I guess the hardcore bakers in France, where it's originally from, really use the more complicated method. But for a novice like me, the simplest recipe is the best fit. The cakes came out great, and tasted awesome. My mother-in-law even said that by far, it's the best desert I've ever made. And that if I were to bake just one kind of desert for our Sunday dinners, it would have to be the madeleines.

Here's the recipe.  Please try it and enjoy!

Madeleines (adapted from Laura Rebecca's Kitchen)

2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
Powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 375-degrees F. Generously butter and flour a Madeleine pan. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl just to blend. Beat in vanilla, lemon zest and salt. Add flour; beat just until blended. Gradually add cooled melted butter in steady stream, beating just until blended.

Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each indentation in pan. Bake until puffed and brown, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Gently remove from pan. Repeat process, buttering and flouring pan before each batch. (Can be made 1 day ahead.) Dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar.

I noticed that the cakes rise well when the batter is prepared in advance and chilled overnight. Also, you may add some variations to the cakes by dipping them in lemon glaze or dark chocolate ganache. Trust me, your guests will go crazy!

Fudgy Meringue Cookies

Probably the best cookies I have ever made by far.

I got the recipe from my brother-in-law.  He knows I love baking and trying out new recipes.  I still don't know the real source of this recipe.  I'll find out when we visit them soon.

Here goes:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chip cookies (at the most 61% cacao) divided
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided (I used 1 1/4 cups only and I think 1 cup should still be fine)
1/3 cup unsweetended cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F.  Coat 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray.  Place 1/2 cup chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl.  Cook in 15-second intervals until chocolate softens; stir until melted and smooth.  Cool chocolate to lukewarm, about 10 minutes.  Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in small bowl to blend.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites, vanilla, salt, and cream of tartar in medium bowl until soft peaks form.  Add remaining 1 cup sugar in 4 additions, beating just to blend after each addition.  Conitnue to beat until meringue is thick and glossy like marshmallow creme.  Beat in cocoa mixture.  Fold in melted chocolate, then 1/2 cup chips.

Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.  Bake cookies for 7 minutes, then reverse sheets and bake until dry-looking and cracked, about 6 minutes.  Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes.  Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.  I'm sure you will be tempted to eat it right away but the cookies are best eaten when completely cooled.

My husband was very, very happy.  What are you waiting for??  Buy the ingredients and try it out! Run, don't walk!

biscuit cutter

I've tried baking biscuits once and now I'm totally hooked. I didn't have a real bisuit cutter before and would only use my meauring cups to cut the dough. Today though, I finally decided to buy real biscuit cutters.

I got them for $1.99!  They're really simple but they should do the trick.  Oh, the possibilities are endless:-)

Is there such a thing as a healthy pizza?

Yes, there is. We made a pesco vegetarian pizza for dinner tonight. My husband practices abstinence every Friday during Lent. That is a huge sacrifice on his part being a meat lover. It's fun though trying to come up with delicious seafood dishes. For this pizza, I made the wholewheat crust while he prepared the toppings: baked salmon, tomatoes, brocolli, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and a little bit of cream cheese. It's sooo good.

I can't wait to make a meatlover's pizza.

The Best-Ever Book of Bread

This should keep me busy for the next few months...

I love how this book talks about the history, origin and different kinds of bread.  I can't wait to try all the recipes!

I just bought it yesterday and I already got two requests: prosciutto bread from the hubby, and cinnamon rolls from a friend.

I'm so excited it's not even funny. I think I was a baker in previous life.

Success!

My husband's birthday cake just keeps getting better each day.  I now have the confidence to make my next cake from scratch.  Ina Garten's chocolate buttercream frosting is divine. The coffee really adds a different flavor to it.  My mother-in-law is my number one fan when it comes to my baking products.  When she found out that I made a cake, she strictly (and half-jokingly) prohibited us from eating it until our usual Sunday get-together.  Of course we didn't listen as that's still two days away.  Besides, it's my husband's birthday cake so he had to have a slice of it. 

My husband is now suggesting that we add another layer of fruits in the cake. Hmm, I'll think about it. 

I kinda like the messy icing look.


Tate's Double Chocolate Almond Cookies

Here's how mine turned out.  The recipe yielded almost three dozen cookies. This is what was left of it.

It was a hit. I'm pretty sure I will be making them again.