MADELEiNES

 

I am not going to talk about Proust, even if I'm french and clichés are the easy way out of writing an inspired post about food. I am not goint to talk about my childhood neither because it would be a cover up for talking about Proust. 

So then, what the heck am I going to talk about? What I am going to say appart that this recipe is easy, fast and delectable? Talk about the weather? Nah! Talk about life and death? Nah. Much too serious for a post about light and fluffy Madeleines. 

How about I stop writing right now and let you test this recipe and see for yourself? Sounds like a gread idea.

iNGREDiENTS:
-makes about 20-

• 100 gr all purpose flour
• 100 gr butter
• 110 gr organic sugar
• 2 eggs
• zest of half a lemon
• 3gr baking powder
• a few drops of orange blossom water

RECiPE:

• Preheat oven at 220°C (430°F)
• Stir flour and baking powder together in a bowl.
• Melt butter and leave to cool a bit.
• Beat eggs with sugar until fluffy into another bowl.
• Add melted butter + flour and baking powder mix + lemon zest + blossom water to the egg and sugar mixture whitout stopping beating.
• If your Madeleine pan is not nonstick, butter it. If it's silicone it's not necessary. Divide the batter among molds, filling them almost to the top.
• Bake for 5 minutes.
• Turn down oven temperature to 200°C (390°F) and bake for 10 more minutes.
• Remove from oven and leave to cool before taking madeleines from mold.
• Enjoy at room temperature with a glass of milk or a cup of tea for breakfast or teatime!
• ET VOiLÀ !

CHOUQUETTES (CHOUX PUFFS)

  

In France you can find Chouquettes in most bakeries. They are fluffy, delicious and not complicated to make. It's basically "pâte à choux" (puff pastry) with pearl sugar on top. Plus, once you know how to make the choux, you can use them for Profiteroles as well (you know, with vanilla ice cream inside and chocolate sauce on top).

iNGREDiENTS:

-makes about 40 choux-

• 125 gr of water
• 125 gr milk
• a pinch of salt
• 25 gr sugar (organic cane sugar is the best)
• a pinch of vanilla sugar
• 100 gr butter
• 140 gr all purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• pearl sugar (you can buy some in a bakery)

RECiPE:

• Preheat your oven at 175°C (350°F)
• In a saucepan boil: water + milk + sugar + salt + butter.
• Stir in flour and cook for two minutes.
• Transfer to the mixer with the paddle attachment and mix for three minutes. (by hand works as well)
• Add the eggs, one at a time while you keep mixing.
• Scrape into a piping bag, fitted with a 12mm nozzle. And pipe little balls, around 3cm wide and 2cm high over a baking sheet. If you don't have a piping bag, you can just use a plastic one (used to froze food) or make little balls with 2 spoons. In that case, pick up the dough with one spoon and scrap it onto the baking sheet with the other.
• Sprinkle with pearl sugar. Be generous as some will fall off as the puff up in the oven.  And press them in gently so they stick to the dough.
• Bake for 35mintues or until the puffs are lightly golden-brown.
• ET VOiLA!