CINNAMON SUGAR MADELEINES

I love when I can check little things off of old lists. Making French madeleines have been on my list of things to make for a few years and I finally made them this past weekend... I have my cat Max to thank for it - sort of. Max had surgery last Friday. I swear it's one thing after the next with him, but I wouldn't trade him for the world! Anyway, this is a food post, so I won't go into the details of the surgery, but he came out of it great and is doing well. But during the surgery, I was worried, so I went to HomeGoods. HomeGoods always gets my mind off of things. While I was there, I ran across a madeleine pan and I immediately grabbed it...

Not even a few weeks ago, I was watching Nancy Fuller make a version of these cinnamon sugar madeleines on her Food Network show, Farmhouse Rules. I love that show... Seeing her make them reminded me of how much I have been wanting to make them. They are super simple to make, but look sophisticated. And of course they taste really good! They have a cake-like texture that can be flavored in a number of ways. These are flavored with cinnamon, but they could also be flavored with vanilla or lemon zest - and maybe dipped in chocolate for some added flavor. They reminded me of something I would serve to new neighbors or as a snack with a side of coffee or tea for summer house guests. They are also made with pantry and refrigerator staples, so they would also be good to whip up for a last minute summer dinner party. Love them... :)

Here is what you need and what to do: (makes 12)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Position the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Use a little softened butter to grease the madeleine pan. Quick tip: I actually used a pastry brush that has been brushed with softened butter to grease the pan. The brush covers more surface area and gets into the grooves of the pan much better. Dust the pan with flour, shake off the excess flour, and set the pan aside.

Add the flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder and salt to a bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

Add the granulated sugar eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until the mixture is thick, pale and yellow - about 5 minutes. Add the melted butter and mix until just combined. Turn off the mixture and fold in the dry ingredients using a spatula. Fold them in until they are just combined to avoid over-mixing the batter

Fill the madeleine pan about 3/4's full. Bake for about 9-11 minutes. Check them at about 9 minutes to see how close they are to being done. They will be dry if they are over-baked, so be careful!

Once they are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. While they are cooling, add the tablespoon of powdered sugar to a fine mesh sieve. Once the cookies are cooled, remove them from the pan and dust them with the sugar.

I think they taste best right out of the oven, but you can store them in a sealed container for up to 2 days. Enjoy!

Images by me