Marvelous Munchies

One of my good friends came over for dinner this past weekend. We hadn't seen each other in what felt like ages and we were in need of a good girl gab fest. I wanted a dessert that we could take to our new outdoor bistro set and nibble on as we caught up on tons of overdue gossip. These little pieces of heaven were the perfect noshing for our outdoor after-dinner relaxation. Not to mention that after a week of "dieting" and sweating profusely at the gym I was so happy to eat a sweet treat.

Madeleines
Joy of Cooking

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp, cut into small pieces
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and then return to the sifter.

2. Mash and beat the butter pieces in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the consistency of mayonnaise. Warm the bowl by dipping into hot water if necessary to hasten the softening of the butter.

3. Beat eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl on high speed until thick and pale yellow, 2 to 5 minutes.

4. Sift the flour mixture over the top of the egg mixture

and fold in with a rubber spatula. Fold a dollop of the egg mixture into the butter,

then scrape the butter mixture back into the remaining egg mixture and fold together. Let rest for at least 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Using melted butter, generously grease 1 or 2 Madeleine pans with 12 molds each. Fill the molds three-quarters full; set any remaining batter aside.

6. Bake until the cakes are golden on the top and golden brown around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately loosen each cake with the tip of a slim knife and unmold onto a rack to cool. If necessary, wipe the molds clean and let cool, rebutter them , and bake with the remaining batter. These are best the day they are made but they can be stored in airtight container for a day or two.