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Plain 18th-Century Madeleines

NYT April 18, 2001

Plain 18th-Century Madeleines

Adapted from "The New Making of a Cook" by Madeleine Kamman (William Morrow, 1997)

Time: 1 hour, plus at least two hours' chilling

1 cup unsalted butter, more at room temperature for buttering pan

2 medium eggs

3 large eggs

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour, more for flouring pan

2/3 cup sifted cake flour.

1. In a mixer fitted with a whisk, cream butter until white. Add 1 whole medium egg and 1 medium

egg yolk. Place egg white in a bowl, and set aside. Continue mixing until blended. Turn to low

speed, and add 3 large egg yolks (adding whites to the one in the bowl), beating after each

addition. Add lemon zest and rum, and continue mixing for another minute.

2. Increase speed to medium. Add 2/3 cup sugar and the salt, and beat until all traces of sugar

crystals disappear. Add remaining sugar, and whip another minute. Transfer batter to a large bowl.

Wash and dry mixer bowl and whisk, then add egg whites. Beat until foamy, then add lemon juice

and continue beating until very smooth and white.

3. Mix flours, and sift two-thirds of the flour over batter. Fold together until just blended. Fold in

one-quarter of the egg whites. Slide remaining egg whites on top of batter, and sift remaining flour

over. Fold all layers together until batter is perfectly homogenized. It should be soft and fluffy.

Spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a small (about 1/4-inch) round tip. Refrigerate for at least

2 hours, or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a madeleine pan (small or large molds). Pipe

batter into molds, so they are three-quarters full. Bake until they form humps and are nut brown

around edges, 6 to 8 minutes, longer if using large molds. Remove from oven, and bang pan on a

countertop to release madeleines from molds. Carefully lift off any that stick. Place in a folded

napkin to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Yield: about 60 small madeleines.