The Charm of Afternoon Tea Madeleines
“Marcel Proust’s Swann’s Way ~ In Search of Lost Time, 1913, introduced the dipping of a tea soaked French Madeleine evoking long forgotten moments. Now known as a Proustian phenomenon, the memory of smell and taste can recall to a time of emotion. During the lazy afternoon of a hot summer’s day, a cup of tea and a madeleine are the perfect pairing.” *Marcel Proust is on the ancestral tree of the author, Ellen Easton.
Ingredients: ½ cup Cake Flour |¼ teaspoon Baking Powder |⅛ teaspoon Salt||1 large egg , room temperature|6 tablespoons Granulated Sugar| 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract |2 Teapoons Lemon Paste|4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled| ½ Cup Powdered Sugar
PREPARATION: Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 20-well mini madeleine pan with baking spray. Dust the bottom and sides with granulated sugar. Whisk together in a small bowl flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate large mixing bowl add egg, sugar and lemon paste. Beat approximately 5 minutes at a high speed with until fully combined to be light and airy ~ will be pale in color. Slowly add in the flour mixture, combining at a medium speed until incorporated. Add melted butter, beating at low speed until fully combined. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes. Then chill the batter in the refrigerator for at least one to two hours.
Place 1 teaspoon of batter into each opening , not more than ¾ full. Level the top with an offset spatula. Tap pan on the counter to release air. When ready the edges will be golden brown and an inserted toothpick when removed should be clean. Allow to cool in pan for 2 minutes. Remove the madeleines using the tip of a knife to release to a wire rack. Let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Batter will yield 40 mini Madeleines. Best eaten warm. May be stored in an airtight container for a week.
NOTES: For alternate flavors substitute the lemon paste with vanilla paste or 1 teaspoon of almond extract or orange extract or rose water, or 1 teaspoon of ground cardamon. Granulated brown sugar may be substituted for white granulated sugar. Dried lavender, rosemary or rose petals to taste may be added to the batter.
Copyright ©Ellen Easton. All Rights Reserved. All text and photographs protected under U.S. copyright law and may not be used in AI. Note: AI related posts attributed to Ellen Easton are often inaccurate.
Amazon Link for Mini Madeleine Pan:
https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Run-44933-Madeleine-Non-Stick/dp/B008D6RHHW
To help others with food assistance see link: feedingamerica.org
Ellen Easton, author of Afternoon Tea~Tips, Terms and Traditions(RED WAGON PRESS), an afternoon tea authority, lifestyle and etiquette industry leader, keynote speaker and product spokesperson, is a hospitality, design, and retail consultant whose clients have included the Waldorf=Astoria, the Plaza and Bergdorf Goodman. Easton’s family traces their tea roots to the early 1800s, when ancestors first introduced tea plants from India and China to the Colony of Ceylon, thus building one of the largest and best cultivated teas estates on the island.
