1/2 c Whole filberts (hazelnuts);
-toasted
1 1/4 c Confectioner’s sugar; more
-for dusting pan
1/4 lb Unsalted butter; more for
-pan
5 tb All-purpose flour; more for
-dusting pan
1 pn Salt
4 lg Egg whites
1/4 ts Pure vanilla extract
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter until light
amber in color.
2. Brush madeleine pan with melted butter, and dust lightly with flour.
Place hazelnuts and 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food
processor fitted with a steel blade, and process until very fine.
3. Combine hazelnut flour mixture, 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners’
sugar, flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Add egg whites and vanilla, and
whisk to combine. Add melted browned butter, and whisk until incorporated.
With a tablespoon, fill molds evenly, about three-quarters of the way.
Transfer to oven, and bake 14 to 18 minutes. Cool 2 minutes, and remove
from pan. Cool completely on a rack, ridged side up. Dust cookies with
confectioners’ sugar.
NOTES : Classic madeleines are flavored with lemon or orange zest, but
variations include chocolate, cocoa, almond paste, or nuts, as in this
recipe. Baked in scallop-shaped molds, these cookies are tender with a
tight-grained interior and a delicate crust. The origins of madeleines date
back to eighteenth-century France. They are said to be named for a young
girl from Commercy who introduced them to the court of the Duke of
Lorraine, the father-in-law of Louis XV.
Yields
24 Servings