Chocolate Madeleines

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Chocolate cake was sounding good to me this weekend, but I didn't feel like taking the time to make a whole chocolate cake, plus what would I do with it? I just can't justify eating the whole thing on my own. Then I remembered my Madeleine pan; bite size chocolate cake that don't need to be frosted, perfect! This recipe requires an overnight chill in the fridge, so you have to think ahead a little, but the end product was delicious. Intensely rich, deep chocolate flavor packaged up in a two bite snack, just the right thing to satisfy my chocolate cake craving.

A simple and delicious recipe, it shouldn't have been a problem right? Well, when your oven decides to die the day you are ready to bake it is a problem. There my batter was, waiting patiently in the fridge, but there was no usable oven in sight. I finally texted my sister-in-law and asked if I could come over and borrow her oven, I didn't want all my efforts to go to waste. I'm glad I was able to end up baking these little guys, they made my Saturday afternoon study session much happier. If you have a Madeleine pan I highly recommend giving these little guys a try!

Wet and dry, ready to go

Time to chill in the fridge

A perfect little snack

Chocolate Madeleines
From Lemon and Anchovies
Ingredients

  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (70 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 3½ tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon double-acting baking powder
  • ⅓ cup plus two tablespoons (90 grams) sugar
  • Pinch of salt (I don't think my pinch was quite big enough, they could have used a little more salt, so don't be afraid to take a nice big pinch!)
  • Grated zest of ¼ lemon (optional)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 6½ tablespoons (3¼ ounces; 100 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions
Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder and set aside. If using the lemon zest, combine the sugar, salt and lemon zest in another bowl and rub the ingredients together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist, grainy and aromatic.

Using a whisk, beat the eggs with the lemon-sugar mixture until blended. Squish the butter through your fingers and add to the bowl. You will be left with little clumps of butter in the mixture–this is okay. Beat in the butter with the whisk until it is evenly distributed. Whisk in the sifted flour mixture just until the flour is incorporated and mixture is smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and chill overnight. If you can’t wait overnight, chill the batter for at least an hour before baking.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 12-mold madeleine pan then dust it with flour (even if you are using a nonstick pan) and tap out the excess.

Divide the batter evenly among the madeleine molds–you don’t have to worry about spreading the batter on the molds, the heat will do that for you. Place the pan in the oven and use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly ajar. Immediately turn down the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the cookies for 11 – 13 minutes, or until the cookies are domed and spring back when pressed lightly. Unmold the cookies and transfer them to a rack to cool to room temperature.