Madeleines

I had not previously eaten a madeleine, the little French cakes baked in pans with scallop-shaped indentions. I had not even seen a madeleine before. I had always wanted a pair of madeleine pans, though, so I could bake the diminutive French cakes. The birthday bunny, or Santa Claus, or whoever leaves the gifts underneath my pillow on the anniversary of my birth every year brought me a pair of nonstick madeleine pans this year!

Madeleines are probably best known in America because of their role in Marcel Proust’s À la recherche du temps perdu, or Remembrance of Things Past, where the narrator’s memories of his childhood are brought back to him when he dips a madeleine into a cup of tea.

Marcel Proust’s madeleine was allegedly dry. The madeleines produced during my first attempt at baking them were delicate, cake like, and moist. I was quite pleased with the resulting scallop-shaped little sponge cakes.

Next, I want some canelé molds!