Need help with French Madeleine cookies, too soft?!
Answers: I am making lemon madeleine cookies and I am finding that they are turning out a little too cakey. Can I increase some ingredient in the recipe to make them more dense? I realize they wont be like cookies but these came out pretty spongy. Also the flat part, not the shell side, was just a little bit sticky. So what went wrong? How can I make them more dense?
What I know is that you should not use low fat butter or margarine. But unsalted butter. Making Madeleines can be troublesome -- either they take too much beating, stick easily to the pans, or come out with crusty, slightly browned edges that chip in the transfer process from pan to rack to plate.
It is important to properly butter the pans. Use a pliant brush, and take care not to miss a single cranny. Butter them as you would brush your teeth after a frightening visit to your dentist. And this butter-flour mixture should probably be used immediately; if left to sit for an hour it turns into concrete, and must be left over the heating oven to return to spreading consistency.
If you really want to make this process easy, break down and get those Teflon-coated Madeleine pans!
See if this recipe is different from yours:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a small heavy saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat just until very light golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until tepid.
In a small bowl, using a wire whisk, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In bowl of electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted. Lower the speed to medium and beat in the vanilla.
Using a large rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the beaten eggs in three additions. Fold in the cooled melted butter in three additions, then fold in the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until slightly firm.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
Generously butter two, l2-mold Madeleine pans with 3-inch long depressions (available at Williams-Sonoma or other kitchen specialty stores). Using a pastry brush, paint the Madeline cups with a light coating of the browned butter and flour mixture, wiping any pools that form in the bottom of the molds; set aside (refrigerate in warm weather). Could spray pans with Bakers Joy instead.
Drop a generous tablespoonful of the batter into the center of each prepared mold, leaving the batter mounded in the center. (This will result in the typical "humped" appearance of the Madeleine.)
Bake the Madeleine for l2 to l5 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers spring back when lightly touched. Batter will spread out to fill the cups, and will gradually swell up into a hump in the middle.
They are done when lightly browned around the edges, and when they begin to shrink very slightly from the molds. Remove the pans from the oven and rap each pan sharply against a countertop to release the Madeleine. Transfer the Madeleines, smooth sides up, to wire racks to cool.
When serving dust with confectioners sugar.
Variations:
Lemon-Poppy Seed Madeleines - Substitute 3/4 cup (l50 grams) white sugar for 2/3 cup white sugar, substitute l/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract plus l teaspoon finely minced lemon zest for l teaspoon vanilla extract, and add l tablespoon poppy seeds after adding butter. Proceed with recipe.
Bittersweet Chocolate Madeleines - Melt 4 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (in pieces) in top of double boiler (stainless steel bowl over a saucepan) until melted. Let cool slightly. Follow the above recipe but add the melted chocolate to the batter after adding the melted butter. Proceed with recipe.