Recipe: Chocolate Madeleines

“Madeleine’s had existed long before Proust’s boyhood. Numerous stories, none very convincing, attribute their invention to a host of different pastry cooks, each of whom supposedly named them for some particular young woman. Only three things are known for sure. One is that Madeleine is a French form of Magdalene (Mary Magdalene, a disciple of Jesus, is mentioned in all four gospels). Another is that Madeleines are always associated with the little French town of Commercy, whose bakers were said to have once, long ago, paid a "very large sum" for the recipe and sold the little cakes packed in oval boxes as a specialty in the area. Finally, it is also known that nuns in eighteenth-century France frequently supported themselves and their schools by making and selling a particular sweet.

Commercy once had a convent dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, and the nuns, probably when all the convents and monasteries of France were abolished during the French Revolution, sold their recipe to the bakers for an amount that grew larger with each telling."

---Rare Bits: Unusual Origins of Popular Recipes, Patricia Bunning Stevens [Ohio University Press: Athens] 1998 (p. 178)

Recipe: Fluff-Filled Chocolate Madeleines

Makes: 24 madeleines

Ingredients:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Dip
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Click here for the recipe and method.

This antique Madeleine pan was given to me this summer
by my mom and dad to mark half a million visitors to my blog.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by!
It's been a great ride!
Live well!

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a photo taken from my train ride to Montreal this weekend
-- using my new iPhone 4 --
this photo reminds me that life moves forward,
and it may not be perfect, but there's beauty in it

I got some bad news this week.
I have to repeat my surgery since they didn't get all the thyroid tissue the first time.
For some as yet unknown reason, all the thyroid tissue wasn't removed.
There is still a large enough portion that they need to remove
before proceeding with the radiation treatment.
The good news is I can drive again and eat whatever I want.

After telling my girls about this next step, we all went out to balance on the train tracks.
My oldest said on the way that she's not usually unsure about things, but she was about this
...trespassing on active tracks and all...
but we had lots of laughs.
We did races,
choo choo trains,
tried to see how long we could balance.
It's a good memory.

So are all the warm wishes and inspiring quotes from friends
on Twitter and Facebook.
Thank you.

"The rose is fairest when it is budding new, and hope is brightest when it dawns from fears."
- Walter Scott @hornedfroggy

"Yesterday is History. Tomorrow is Mystery. Today is a Gift. That's why we call it the Present." @AMWATERS

"Life is tenacious; it is endowed with the power to heal. The decision to undertake this battle arises from within."
- Ikeda @michaelsdolce

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?"
- Vincent van Gogh @cailinash

"Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it."
- Tori Amos @DragonsKitchen

"Not everything happens for a reason, but there is a reason for everything."
@foodwishes

"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."
- Nietzsche (Lynda on iPhone)

"Fear can keep us up all night long, but faith makes one fine pillow."
- Teresa on Facebook

"Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down."
- Charles F. Kettering (Kelly from Facebook)

"If you're going through hell, keep going."
- Winston Churchill (Sandy and Melanie on Facebook)

"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward."
- Soren Kierkegaard (an email from someone last week)

The sterotypical comfort food has always been cookies and milk; cookies fresh from the oven milk straight from the fridge. So goes the myth: you arrive home from school, heavy with the burden of strict teachers and challenging school situations and there is Mom, waiting for you with cookies and milk, and as you eat the cookies, you spill out the problems of the day, and the world begins to look brighter.

Recipe: Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies (aka Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies)

Instructions:

1. Cream the Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
   
   
2. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then stir in the vanilla extract.
   
   
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, blended oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually add this dry mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
   
   
4. Add the Chocolate and Nuts: Stir in the chocolate chips, grated Hershey bar, and chopped nuts (if using).
   
   
5. Shape the Cookies: Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto a greased baking sheet. 
   
   
6. Bake: Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 8 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
   
   Optional Freezing: If you want to freeze the dough for later, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer. When you're ready to bake, thaw the dough and form the dough into rounds. Bake as directed above.

Tasting Notes
The proof of the pudding (or in this case, the cookies) is in the tasting. This is what two-thirds of my daughters have to say (Anna, my 11 year old, declined to comment since she doesn't like chocolate chip cookies!):

“I like chocolate chip cookies because
when mom takes them out of the oven
the chocolate chips are melted
and the cookie is soft and moist.
Also because they're sweet with chocolate
and well, they're cookies!” ~ Sarah (12 years old)

i like the choclity part
and its fun to eat them to
there really really REALLY good! ~ Jennifer (8 years old)

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Chocolate Kahlua Shortbread combines the rich flavors of bittersweet chocolate and a splash of Kahlua, creating a festive and indulgent version of the classic shortbread cookie. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these cookies are a melt-in-your-mouth treat that combines a delicate crunch with the sweetness of chocolate and the warmth of Kahlua. This version of shortbread is a favorite Christmas recipe, but it can be enjoyed year-round for any occasion.

Shortbread is a classic cookie that only requires three main ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour. Once those are perfectly mixed together, the possibilities are endless—whether you prefer a traditional shortbread or one with added flavors and decorations. This recipe is one of many delicious twists on a classic favorite.

The first step in making shortbread, and many baked goods for that matter, is creaming the butter and sugar. I thought it was funny when someone next to me in the kitchen at Le Cordon Bleu asked me where the cream was when she heard that we had to "cream the butter and sugar" for the tuiles we were making that day. We all have to start somewhere: some watch a master Michelin-starred chef in a famous cooking school, some hold onto their grandmother's apron stirring batter alongside, and some watch endless hours of the Food Network and are forever scarred by the perfectionism of Martha.

Fat, flour, and sugar. That's shortbread. Mixing these ingredients properly yields a cookie that is slightly crisp, tender, crumbly and melts in your mouth. Beyond these three ingredients, the variations are endless. Some like traditional, plain shortbread. Others like to jazz it up with decorations and flavors. Some like it baked pale, golden or browned. Others roll the dough and cut it into myriad holiday shapes while some use a time-stained shortbread pan.

To me, shortbread means Christmas. A year doesn't go by where I don't make one (or twelve) dozen of this simple cookie. I love how it crumbles in my mouth, the layers shattering and scattering its sweetness. A little taste of chocolate, a hint of Kahlua (maybe I should add more in next year's batch). Another cookie laden with almonds and orange. Another flaked with coconut. It's hard to stop at one. And why should I? It's Christmas. I can be perfect in the New Year!

Recipe: Chocolate Kahlua Shortbread

Makes: about 30 cookies

Ingredients:

8 ounces (1/2 pound or 1 cup or 2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
½ cup sugar
2 cups flour
pinch salt

4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon Kahlua

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (a low temperature).
   
   
2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. You can’t overmix at this stage!
   
   
3. Sift the flour and salt together onto a piece of parchment paper. This ensures the flour is lump-free and easy to transfer into the bowl.
   
   
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, mixing just until the dough comes together. If the dough feels dry, gently incorporate more room-temperature butter.
   
   
5. Stir in the chopped chocolate and Kahlua (or skip the Kahlua for a traditional shortbread flavor).
   
   
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, knead a couple of times to smooth the edges.
   
   
7. Roll the dough between sheets of wax paper to about ⅜-inch thickness and cut into your desired shapes.
   
   
8. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
   
   
9. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the edges are pale golden.

Tip: You can freeze the dough after rolling and cutting it into shapes. Place the cut cookies on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Bake directly from frozen.

Variations:

Orange and Grand Marnier:
• 1 heaping tablespoon candied orange peel, finely chopped
• zest of 1 orange, grated
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Cappuccino:
• 1 tablespoon finely ground espresso coffee
• Dip one end of the cookie into melted chocolate

Hazelnut or Almond Orange:
• 1½ cups hazelnuts (skins removed) or almonds, toasted and processed until fine
• 1½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest

Coconut:
• 4 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Other Shortbread Spottings:
• Luna Café: Cranberry, Pistachio & Candied Ginger Shortbread
• Amanda's Cookin': Dorie's Sables
• The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch: Peppermint Meltaways
• Eat Yet? alfajores dulce de leche

Tasting Notes
The Chocolate Kahlua Shortbread offers a perfect balance of crisp, tender texture with just the right amount of sweetness. The chocolate adds richness, while the Kahlua imparts a warm, aromatic depth that makes this cookie stand out from your traditional shortbread. One bite is enough to make this cookie a holiday favorite.

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Recipe: Coconut Butter Thins

Ingredients:

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Recipe: World Peace Cookies

Ingredients:

You can find the recipe for World Peace Cookies in the book Baking: From My Home to Yours (affiliate link) by Dorie Greenspan or here or here. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger! Thanks to Jessica of cookbookhabit who chose the recipe for this week and will post the recipe.

Tasting Notes
This cookie demonstrates Hermé's perfect marriage of the "three Ts": taste, temperature and texture. They melt-in-your mouth and are best eaten warm with the chocolate slowly oozing out leaving fingers stained with kisses of salted chocolate. In fact, one of my daughters doesn't like chocolate chip cookies but asked to take one of these in her lunch today!

If you don't want to make them in your own kitchen, you used to be able to order them online from Hermé's online boutique for 14 EUR, $22 CAD or $18 US! Hermé recommends tea, coffee, Maury, Banyuls Vintage or water, but I prefer milk with my cookies.

"Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you."
— All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum found on the website for Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace

Recipe for Next Week (February 10)
Floating Islands on pages 401-402 chosen by ME!

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

Recipe: Tuile Fortune Cookies and Coffee Ice Cream

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (low speed), cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as a butterfly. Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an offset spatula to spread the batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.

Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180˚C or 350˚F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from baking sheet and proceed to shape and bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. Or: place a baking sheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.

If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones, etc.

Recipe: Coffee Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons instant espresso or coffee, to taste (or ½ cup Bailey's instead)
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

Whisk all the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved. Process mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to covered container and freeze until firm.

Tasting Notes
These tuile fortune cookies were perfect and very easy to make. They have a nice crunch and delicate flavor that goes perfectly with this coffee ice cream.

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Recipe: Gingerbread Cookie Cups

Ingredients:

6 cups (about) flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1½ teaspoons ground cloves
¾ teaspoon salt
11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1½ teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 large egg
¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon soda

Instructions:

Whisk 5¼ cups flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a bowl.

Using a stand mixer, blend the butter and shortening. Add sugar, molasses, and lemon peel and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and buttermilk.

Blend 2 teaspoons water with soda. Beat into butter mixture. In two additions, beat in the flour mixture. Add more flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough feels slightly firm.

Divide the dough into three equal disks. Wrap them and chill until firm enough to roll at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften slightly before rolling out.)

Roll out one disk of dough at a time, between sheets of waxed.
Either cut the dough using boy and girl gingerbread cookie cutters (or another shape) or press the dough into a heat-resistant shot glass or silicon shot glasses. Chill the dough again before baking. (Cutout cookies can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, turning the pan halfway through the baking time.

If you made shot glasses, once the cookies have cooled, put them in the freezer. After they have frozen, remove them from the shot glasses. You may have to trim the bottom so that it sits level. Store them in the freezer until ready to fill with your beverage of choice.

Other ideas for filling the cups:
• Spiked White Chocolate Cappuccino
• Holiday Irish Coffee Eggnog from Lori at RecipeGirl.com

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Recipe: Buttery Jam Cookies

Ingredients:

You can find the recipe for Buttery Jam Cookies in the book Baking: From My Home to Yours (affiliate link) by Dorie Greenspan or here. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger! 

Tasting Notes
These cookies are a perfect little breakfast treat! They are easy drop cookies that don't spread much during baking. I could also see them as a base for thumbprint-style cookies. They're an all around easy cookie for your holiday cookie line-up.

Recipe for Next Week (December 23)
Real Butterscotch Pudding on page 386 chosen by Donna of Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases.

Other Christmas cookie ideas:
• Grandma’s All-Occasion Sugar Cookies
• Linzer Sablés
• Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
• Lenox Almond Biscotti
• Rugelach

Other pretty Buttery Jam Cookies I found this week (before the onslaught of 300+ TWD bakers):
• Nemmie from Cast Sugar also made some beautiful piped versions

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Recipe: Linzer Sablés

Ingredients:

You can find the recipe for Linzer Sablés in the book Baking: From My Home to Yours (affiliate link) by Dorie Greenspan or here. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger! Thanks to Noskos of Living the Life who chose the recipe for this week and will post the recipe.

Tasting Notes
I loved these cookies and one of my daughters gave them a thumbs up too. The hint of cinnamon and cloves make them extra tasty. This recipe is definitely being added to my yearly Christmas cookie list.

Recipe for Next Week (December 9)
Grandma’s All-Occasion Sugar Cookies on pages 146-147 chosen by Ulrike of Küchenlatein.

Other Christmas cookie ideas:
• Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
• Lenox Almond Biscotti
• Rugelach

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