In 2008 I had never seen a food blog and didn’t have a clue what they were. Googling wasn’t the obsession then that it is now and I relied on my monthly food magazines, cookbooks and food section of our local newspaper for recipes and general info. That year I started planning my first trip to Paris and was overwhelmed by how much information I could find on the internet. I stumbled across David Lebovitz’s blog completely by accident and after reading a half dozen posts I was totally hooked.
I have several of David’s cookbooks and have tried many of his recipes and this is one of my favorites. Madeleines are very small sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape acquired from being baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions. They can be on the finicky side but with a little patience and practice, and a good non-stick pan, they turn out perfectly every time. David’s recipe is straightforward and goes together quickly. The browned butter gives the little cakes a wonderfully nutty flavor and if you aren’t familiar with browning butter you can find a tutorial here. Another favorite recipe is buckwheat crepes, or galettes, and you can find that recipe here. They are wonderful filled with ham and cheese, a fried egg and a little handful of arugula.
If you haven’t baked with buckwheat flour before you are in for a treat. It produces a heavier texture than all-purpose white flour and has a flavor that is hard to describe…healthy, natural, nutty, a little on the savory side. You just have to try it for yourself.
While many people think that buckwheat is a cereal grain, it is actually a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens. It has a high nutritional value, making it popular in many nations, especially in Asia. Buckwheat flour can be used in an assortment of foods including pancakes and traditional Japanese soba noodles. One of my blogging goals this year is to use my pantry ingredients in new and interesting ways. It’s so easy to get into the rut of making the same old recipes over and over. I’ll be doing more experiments with buckwheat flour so stay tuned…
I dipped the warm madeleines in chocolate because the flavor is delicious with the nuttiness of the buckwheat, but you can dust them with a little confectioners sugar if you prefer. They are best eaten the day they are made and will last several days if they are stored in an airtight container. The chocolate glaze helps to keep them soft. If you have an old tin madeleine pan in the back of your cupboard that you never use because everything sticks to it it’s time to give it a toss and get a new one that is non-stick. These delicious little treats are so versatile and easy to make and should be on every baker’s recipe list. Madeleines are made in many flavors and can be found in most patisseries in Paris.
This delicious recipe is from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz.
- 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed
- ⅔ cup (105 grams) buckwheat flour
- ⅓ cup (45 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup egg whites (from 3-4 large eggs)
- 1 tablespoon dark honey
- 3 tablespoons roasted cocoa nibs or mini chocolate chips
- Confectioners sugar or melted chocolate for glaze
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the butter until it’s the color of maple syrup and smells toasty. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the egg whites and honey. Stir in one-third of the browned butter; gradually add the rest of the butter, including all the dark bits, without scraping the bottom of the pan. Mix in the cocoa nibs (or chocolate chips), stirring until the batter is smooth.
- In two madeleine molds, brush the indentations with melted butter. Fill the molds three-quarters full with the batter. Tap the pans gently on the surface to even out the batter, and bake for 9-10 minutes, until they spring back lightly when you touch them in the center. Because of the color of the buckwheat flour, color is not a good indication of doneness. Remove from oven, wait 30 seconds, then tip out onto cooling rack to cool.
- When cool dip one side of the madeleines into melted chocolate or sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Store in an airtight container.
They look perfect..love the peeking at Montmartre and the bee:)
I must peek into buckwheat!
Monique recently posted..Lattice Sugar Cookies~
I love buckwheat flour! These madeleines look delicious! I’ll have to try it out in my mini donut and egg-shape pans.
Julia @ Swirls and Spice recently posted..Spiced Peach Oat Bars
I need to check out buckwheat. I have read about it, but have not tried it yet. Your Madeleines look like a good place to start.
Madonna
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon recently posted..Vegetable Beef Soup
You can’t get much better than madeleines dipped in chocolate. We made buckwheat pancakes once and they were delicious. What a great idea to use it in madeleines. I just bought a whole cookbook devoted to madeleines, but my husband started a diet and it would be cruel to make any right now, but there’s always tomorrow…
Sam
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen recently posted..Clementine and Honey Glazed Pork Chops
Those look great. I like buckwheat. It’s a good grain to add to the diet.
These make me want to go out and buy a madeleine pan! These look so good- love the buckwheat! 🙂
Betty recently posted..Chocolate Peanut Butter Globs
I need to try these! Dipped in chocolate they look delightful and I think I would love the nutty flavor of the buckwheat. It is amazing what can be found on the internet these days. How our lives have changed in the past 10 years but delightful baking is here to stay 🙂
Susan recently posted..Italian Bacon and Cheese ‘Snail’ Rolls
I think that we both started blogging around the same time. Look how far you’ve come, Cathy! I don’t own a madeline pan, and have been toying with buying one. Now, you have me convinced.
Foodiewife recently posted..Drunken Beans
Awesome!! I think I could eat 6-8 of those, they looks delicious!!!! 🙂
Your buckwheat madeleines look amazing & must taste heavenly! ooh yes!
Another must make for sure! x
Sophie33 recently posted..Spiced chicken meatballs with home-made tomato veggies sauce & spelt penne!