Perfect French Madeleine's

History shows that dating back to the 18th century in the French town of Commercy, in the region of Lorraine, the story is told that a girl name Madeleine made them for Stanislaw Lezczynski, Duke of Lorraine, who loved them and subsequently gave some to his daughter, Marie, the wife of Louis XV. Their popularity grew after that. Made famous by Marcel Proust in his novel, 'Remembrance of Things Past' in which he wrote: "She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called 'petites madeleines', which look as though they had been molded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim's shell”.
These are perfect little cakes that can be eaten plain, with a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar or dipped in melted chocolate. The texture and flavor is extremely satisfying and I bet you can’t just eat one – I dare you!

Perfect French Madeleine’s

½ C. Melted butter
2 Eggs
1 C. Sugar
1 C. Flour
1 T. Brandy
1 t. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt the butter in the microwave and let cool. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together. Over a double boiler, gently heat the mixture until luke warm and whisk consistently. Remove from the heat and beat until light and fluffy with the whisk. Strive to incorporate as much air as possible, so the little cakes come out light.

Gradually add the flour and whisk together. Then add the melted butter and combine well. Finally add the brandy and vanilla and combine.

Using a non-stick Madeleine pan (purchased mine from Williams-Sonoma). Spray each mold with non stick cooking spray to ensure they do not stick. Add about one tablespoon of the mixture to each cookie mold depression. Cook for about 9 minutes until delicately brown. Cool for a few minutes and then using a sharp paring knife gently lift each cookie onto a wire rack to cool with the shell side up. Once completely cool, then dust with confectioner’s sugar and enjoy! Store in an airtight container – best used within a day or two.