This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie Baking with Julia recipe was for a personal favourite of mine – madeleines (p 334). I’ve made madeleines fairly recently, with the Petits Chefs (from The Bouchon Bakery Cookbook) and I’ve made them before for French Fridays with Dorie. Heck, I even spent an afternoon discussing whether lighter or more golden colour was preferable in one’s madeleines last summer at La Cuisine Paris.
Most madeleine recipes suggest resting the batter in the fridge overnight and whilst the Petits Chefs didn’t have time to do that when they made them (and they were totally fine…) it’s definitely what I am used to doing. So I was surprised that this recipe did not call for the overnight rest. Against my better judgement (and in a hurry!) I baked them up straight away. I also slightly overfilled my madeleine pans – resulting in uglier than usual madeleines.
These, from the get-go (i.e. right out of the oven) were much drier than other madeleines I have made. Perfect for dunking…
… but they definitely are not my favourite recipe. Apart from being a little too dry for my liking, mine did not develop the characteristic little humps and they struggled to achieve a pretty golden colour…
A pity but that’s ok because I already have three other madeleine recipes that I know work perfectly! It’s good to experiment when you already have a “go-to” 😉
This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie, Baking with Julia was hosted by Katie and Amy Thisdell of Counter Dog and you can find the recipe on her blog. Tuesdays with Dorie participants do not publish the recipes on our blogs except if we happen to be the host for the week, rather, we prefer if you purchase Baking with Julia for yourselves which you can do here on Amazon or Amazon Canada. Or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us, baking along at Tuesdays with Dorie. Go on, you know you want to.
I had the same madeleines as you!!!! It was not the result I wished!!!
This recipe doesn’t convince me for madeleines, I think it taste more like a ladyfingers!!
So it’s not too bad, I’ll keep this recipe as a base for dessert!!
Mine developed humps…but I didn’t know that was a good thing! I thought I overbaked, but if yours were dry, too, I guess it’s just the recipe. Good to hear a review from an expert madeleine baker 🙂
I am with you – these are fine for dunking, but not straight up. (I was humpless too). Sigh.
I agree the recipe is not my favourite…You mention 3 other recipes you prefer…which ones are they?
Dorie’s in Around my French Table, The Bouchon Bakery Cookbook and the recipe I used at La Cuisine Paris.
They were a bit dry, more like tea biscuits than the buttery marvels I have eaten before. Good to know other recipes yield different results, I’d like to give them a go.
Totally agree. There are better madeleine recipes out there.
I think your tea cakes are quite pretty. I like the lighter coloring. I recently acquired the Bouchon cookbook – have yet to make anything, but I want to make everything! I won’t be making this recipe again.
Yours look perfect no matter what you say! I agree that they are a bit dry, but now I’m inspired to try other recipes. Beautiful photos!
I had the humps and the color, but they were awfully dry and dense. Not my fav recipe either. Like the pic.
Agree with you on the dry. I couldn’t believe it from these Madeleines.
I’ve always wanted to bake my own Madeleines and finally got the pan.
Can’t wait to try my hand and see how I do.
I preferred the ones we did with French Fridays, too. Still, we enjoyed these. Yours look beautiful, even without the hump.
I’ve never made madelines before, but really want to buy a madeline pan and start baking!
I agree that these were not my favorite. I didn’t get humps either. I still think they’d make a good ladyfinger. Maybe there’s a trifle in my future.
Your photos are stunning and your recipes sound delectable. We would love for you to share them at thefeastingeye.com. The Feasting Eye is still a bit new, but I think you will like what you see :-).