Today is chilly, rainy and grey. The temperature has cooled again, reminding me that the 60 degree days we had earlier this week were unseasonal for winter. Spring may still be a little far away, but I have begun thinking about the seeds we'll begin planting in March. Because we don't have a yard, I need a good plan for our little balcony garden. My daughter is already asking when we'll be able to do it, so I want to be ready. On another note, her 3rd birthday is coming up, meaning it's time to think about party themes, cupcakes, cakes, hors d'oeuvres and invitations. Time is flying.
Due to the raging popularity of our Earl Grey cookies, I decided to try adding the fragrant leaves to a Madeleine recipe. Madeleines are a close second when it comes to my favorite type of dessert (right behind lemon cookies), and I was craving their buttery smooth cake like texture. There are so many things I enjoy about their process - from folding the rich, creamy batter to melting and smearing butter all over the cute little pan. I love peeking in the oven while they're baking so I can see the centers rise as they spread and form into their unique seashell shape. They are delicious to eat, and extremely versatile when it comes to flavoring. As soon as they are taken out of the oven, they can be tipped out onto a cooling rack for glazing or dipping. I recently baked a large batch for a dinner gathering, and they were a huge hit. I served classic Vanilla Madeleines, along with this gluten-free version, which use almond flour.
Earl Grey Madeleines with Lemon Ginger Glaze
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Serves: makes 24-36 cookies
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 5 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp earl grey tea powder
- 2 cup plus 4 tbsp blanched almond flour
Glaze:
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp powdered ginger
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl then whip them with an electric beater for 2 minutes.
- Add syrup, butter, vanilla and mix.
- Then very slowly add in the almond flour with a spatula.
- Pour the batter into a greased madeleine pan.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
- Combine glaze ingredients and brush the (front) scalloped side of the cookies. Allow to dry.
Optional: Instead of the lemon ginger glaze, try dipping madeleines in melted chocolate (dark or white chocolate) and dust with powdered sugar.