Blood Orange Infused Madeleines (or) Eat Your Heart Out, Proust

We all know about Proust and his madeleine. The man fetishized a small tea cake to a point that his seven volume novel, Remembrance of Things Past, is bookended by the thematic significance of the delicious little morsel.

I agree with him. Madeleines are that good: a delightful cross between a cookie, with crispy, nicely browned edges, and a wee cake with a moist, rich interior. The distinctive shell shape on one side and convex mound made by the rising batter on the other are so distinctive, there can be no mistaking a madeleine for anything else. The classic madeleine is delicately flavored with vanilla and lemon, both zest and extract giving it a rich, nuanced citrus flavor that permeates every delicate crumb. There are several variations, the most popular being chocolate, though I have seen almond and even a savory version flecked with kernels of fresh, sweet corn. My favorite has always been the pistachio madeleine that Balthazar Bakery occasionally sells, made all the more delicious because of its rarity.

Feeling a bit like taking a stroll through my own memories on a snowy day, Annabelle and I decided to try a new kind of madeleine. It's January, and that means we are right in the middle of citrus season. Right now the markets are full of blood oranges. A wonderfully gothic name for a really delicious fruit. Sweet, with flesh that varies in color from a faint pink blush to deep, dark garnet, blood oranges taste slightly more complex than a regular orange, their sweetness tempered by a hint of bitterness that is very refreshing.

Not content to merely zest our blood orange in the batter, we decided to make a simple icing from the gorgeously pink juice we squeezed from the pulp and dunk our madeleines in it while they were still warm from the oven. The end result was a glaze that crunches delightfully with each bite and tastes like sunshine on a cloudy, snowy day. Remembrance of things past? If it's this delicious, definitely.

Recipe:

1 stick salted butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup whole milk
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 cups flour
1 blood orange, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sugar for glaze

Special equipment: madeleine cookie tins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

*Grease madeleine tins well--the cookies can be difficult to remove.*

1. In a small pot over low heat (or in the microwave), heat milk and butter until butter has completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. While butter is melting, in a large bowl beat eggs, gradually adding sugar, vanilla and orange extracts. Add the orange zest and flour and stir until well combined.
3. Add the hot milk mixture to the bowl and stir until batter is smooth. Sprinkle baking powder over the top and stir just until it is combined--do not over mix.
4. Spoon into prepared cookie tins and bake in the middle of preheated oven for 15 minutes for mini-madeleines, or 18-22 for full sized madeleines.
5. Cookies are done when well risen and crispily brown around the edges. Remove and let cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes.
6. While the cookies are cooling, prepare glaze. In a small bowl, stir together juice from the blood orange with remaining 1 cup sugar until completely dissolved. Gently remove cookies from tins--sometimes a spoon can be used to gently pry reluctant cookies out--be gentle. While still warm, dip each cookie into the glaze and then place on wire rack over wax paper (to catch drips) until cool.

Makes about 3 dozen big madeleines or many, many mini madeleines

Cherry Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

A gray, blustery day in January needs a little something unexpected. Cookies are obligatory, and chocolate, of course. But how about some chewy, slightly tart dried cherries? And maybe a hit of orange zest to bring some brightness to a chilly, dark afternoon? Yes please!

Recipe

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
zest of an orange
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat over to 375 degrees

1. In a bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and stir until well incorporated. Add vanilla and orange extracts and the orange zest and stir until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until batter is smooth.

3. Add cherries and chocolate chips and stir well.

4. Drop in mounded spoonfuls on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until cookies are puffy and set and just beginning to turn a light, crispy brown.

5. Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Makes about 24 large cookies

A Sweet Way to Start the New Year

Save all of those stern resolutions for after breakfast! Ease into the new year with a bite of something deliciously sweet. With a food processor, these tender, fluffy cinnamon buns can be ready in moments. Homemade is a wonderful way to start the New Year!

Quick Cinnamon Buns

1 recipe Sunday Biscuits (blog post October 2012)
2 Tablespoons butter, cubed
2 teaspoons cinnamon
flour, for dusting

For Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon milk

1 X 12 cup muffin tin (makes a dozen buns)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Butter or spray the muffin tin


1. Make a batch of Sunday Biscuits. Mix until just combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and roll gently with a rolling pin until you have a rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick.

2. Dot the surface with butter and sift cinnamon over the whole surface.

3. Roll up the dough jelly-roll style, pinching gently to seal seams.

4. Using a serrated knife, slice roll into 12 pieces and place, swirl side up, in muffin tins.

5. Bake, 12-15 minutes until the buns are fluffily risen and just beginning to brown. Let cool for a few minutes in the tins and then turn out gently on baking rack to cool.

6. While buns are cooling, make icing: whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk until smooth. Drizzle over muffins and serve, with lots of napkins!