Woolstitcher > wrote:

> http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...1315387&ps=bb1
>
> When presented with something chocolate, oval-shaped and dusted with
> confectioner's sugar, they tend to just dig in, no questions asked.

Have you ever tasted real madeleines? To desecrate and upset the taste
of the very-lightly-lemon-flavoured, beautifully balanced, deliberately
understated madeleines with what is, in the context, crude and rude,
"look-at-me!" chocolate, is yet another example of people with obviously
a total lack of discerning tastebuds hell-bent on "improving" on a
perfection. Disgusting.

Here, make real madeleines instead, with the recipe from _The Food
Lover's Guide to Paris_ by Patricia Wells, eat a couple, dipping them in
tea or lime-blossom tisane and all the things past will come unravelling
before your eyes...

Victor

Madeleines
Lemon Tea Cakes

4 eggs
1 cup (200 g) sugar
Grated zest (peel) of 2 lemons
1 3/4 cups (225) all-purpose flour (do not use unbleached flour)
3/4 cups (6 ounces; 185 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus 1
tablespoon (1/2 oz; 15 g) unsalted butter, for buttering _madeleine_
tins

1. Place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl, then using a whisk or
electric mixer, beat until lemon colored. Add the zest. Fold in the
flour, then the 3/4 cup butter.

2. Refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

4. Butter the _madeleine_ tins, then spoon in the batter, filling each
well about three-fourths full. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until
_madeleines_ are golden brown.

5. Remove the _madeleines_ from their tins as soon as they're baked and
cool them on a baking rack. Note: Wash tins immediately with a stiff
brush and hot water but no detergent, so they retain their seasoning.
The _madeleines_ are best eaten as soon as they've cooled. They may,
however, be stored for several days in an airtight container.

Yield: Thirty-six 3-inch (8-cm) _madeleines_