That was what Mads said when I was gathering the materials to make the gingerbread madeleines. Throughout the fun, we narrated everything. Sometimes, she would just repeat what I said, and other times she just made stuff up as we went along. So cute! I let her do most of the mixing. I must say that I am not too fond of the smell of molasses. And why do they say “slow as molasses?” It poured quite easily!
What we used to make 12 servings*:
Butter for greasing the pan
6 tbsp very hot tap water
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 firmly packed light brown sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
The process:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease a 12-cavity madeleine pan with butter.
3. Stir the hot water, molasses, and baking SODA in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Combine the softened butter, brown sugar, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and mix until smooth (an electric mixer was recommended, but I don’t have one)
5. Add the egg yolk and beat (with electric mixer) until well incorporated.
6. Stir in the molasses mixture you set aside earlier.
7. Stir in the baking POWDER, then the flour.
8. Spoon batter into cavities of madeleine pan.
9. Bake until the madeleines are well risen (9-10 minutes). Remove the pan from the oven and immediately invert onto wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Best enjoyed on the day they’re baked.
A few comments:
Today was my first time ever making them. I think they turned out quite flavorful, but not cohesive enough. I was impressed that I had just enough batter for 12 cavities. Another thing is I did not know how to remove them. I also wonder if I was supposed to just invert the pan and let them cool and then remove them after they’ve cooled down or vice versa.
I LOVE madeleine cookies (we spell Mads full name as such). I tried my first one when my mother-in-law brought me a few after my daughter was born . I had seen them at Starbucks, but never wanted to pay the price for them. Ok, once I took I bite, I still didn’t buy them at Starbucks, but would find them at Costco and supermarkets for better prices. Then my mother-in-law baked her own one summer and I’ve been pining for my own pan. I finally got one this winter and was happy that Lauren Chattman’s Dessert Express has a few easy recipes.
The dress rehearsal.
Found it and waited for the parade to start. Turns out most of the town marches in the parade, so I joined them with WZR. We didn’t wait for the food and refreshments, courtesy of the Fire Dept (all volunteers), but did walk through the fair, played at the playground, and then got in the car. No nap for Maddy, but we did get ready for the Joyces for a play date and bbq. A good time was had by all, but I think we need a vacation now.
