Tuesday, May 20, 2008

TWD: Matcha Coconut Madeleines


There's something very special about madeleines, so I was really happy that this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was traditional madeleines, chosen by Tara of Smells Like Home. I'm swamped with studying for finals right now but I couldn't resist making them. I adore madeleines and they're a really easy baked good. I chose to do a matcha coconut variation, and they were quite yummy. My favourite flavour is still Earl Grey, but I always want to try out new combinations. And I have to just say that madeleines are really best within a few hours of making them so you get to enjoy their slightly crispy edges and soft warm centers.


As for the signature "hump" that the madeleine is supposed to have - some of mine did and some didn't despite refrigeration of the batter for several hours. Doesn't bother me though because they were still addictively delicious. And I know that some people have problems with them sticking to the pans - I find that if I let mine cool for a few minutes in the pan, they come out much easier. And it seems impossible for me to make madeleines without those tunnels, though I don't feel like I'm overmixing. One thing about Dorie's recipe that's different from other madeleine recipes I've made was that she has you beat the eggs and sugar together for 3 minutes. I'm used to just stirring them together by hand until mixed.


Other things I've baked with tea:
Matcha Cupcakes
Earl Grey White Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Earl Grey Tea Shortbread
Honey Earl Grey Madeleines


Matcha Coconut Madeleines*
Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
1-2 tbsp matcha**
1/3 cup dried unsweetened coconut
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, matcha and coconut.

Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one 3/4 full. Don't worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven's heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.

Makes 12 large or 36 mini cookies.***

Storing: Although the batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, the madeleines should be eaten soon after they are made. You can keep them overnight in a sealed container, but they really are better on day 1. If you must store them, wrap them airtight and freeze them; they'll keep for up to 2 months.

*To make the traditional madeleines, add the zest of one lemon to the sugar (rubbing the lemon zest and sugar between your fingers until moist and fragrant.) Omit the coconut and matcha.
**I used 1 tbsp and it gave the madeleines a very light matcha flavour so next time I'll add 2 tbsp.
***With my modification of the recipe, it made 15 large madeleines.

My note: You can easily modify this recipe to make any flavour you like. I like adding 4 oz of melted chocolate to the batter.

26 comments:

Engineer Baker said...

Matcha coconut sounds intriguing. Neat idea!

Gretchen Noelle said...

What a fun flavor combo! They look wonderful!

Melissa said...

What a great flavor idea!

Dolores said...

You read my mind... my first foray into madeleines was fairly traditional, but batch #2 (in the fridge now) is a matcha/coconut/ginger combination.

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Mmm, matcha and coconut?? What a DIVINE flavor combination!! Yum!! Glad that you truly enjoyed this week's Tuesdays with Dorie dessert :0)

Jayne said...

Wow, those sound really interesting - and appealing. And they look really good, too!

Anonymous said...

How lovely, and what a delicious combination!

Best of luck on your finals; I just finished mine today, what a relief!

Jaime said...

nice flavor choice. i honestly did not know about the hump until now - shows how much of a baker i am huh? ;)

good luck w/your finals!

amanda. said...

Oh my goodness. Matcha and coconut?! It's like my favorite Starbucks drink in cookie/cake form. Yum!

Heather B said...

oh wow! What a great idea! I love Matcha! I'm definitely going to try this version!

Anonymous said...

Yum! And good luck with finals!!!

mimi said...

what a great flavor variation, your madeleines look lovely! good luck with finals!

Gigi said...

What a great combo for a madeleine! They look absolutely delicious!

Silvia - Magnolia Wedding Planner said...

They really are a comfort food for me. In every way. Plain classic or with every kind if different ingredients. And matcha is fo sure a fantastic option for me.
thanks for the recipe :-D
Silvia

ostwestwind said...

Interesting combination, matcha and coconut, I'm not sure how it will work for me

Ulrike from Küchenlatein

Liliana said...

Your madeleines look great! What an interesting combination - must give it a try.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Humps or no humps, these look fantastic!

Shari@Whisk: a food blog said...

Love the matcha/coconut idea!

CB said...

I don't think I've ever had matcha. What does it taste like? Great job!
Clara @ I♥food4thought

Anonymous said...

I love this whole flavored madeleine thing and yours sound delicious. I'll have to give it a try. I dig the color too. Great job!

Mari said...

I love how versatile this recipe is and how creative you were with it!

priscilla joy said...

Madeleines...yummy these look good. Soft centers and crispy edges makes me even hungarier!

priscilla joy said...

Hey Ashley, one more thing.:) I was wondering how you get your pictures so big on your blog, I can't get them that big on mine and I have blogger as well. Would you mind telling me how to?

Anonymous said...

The madeleines look so yummy.So delicious and crisp!

LyB said...

That's quite the combination you made there, they look delicious!

Katie Zeller said...

I love madeleines, but have never tried making them... It's too much fun to buy them! But I've never found any this interesting!