When it comes to madeleines, I’m extremely judgmental. This could be because I learned to make madeleines at a French pastry-making class and they’re best served, in my humble opinion, fresh out of the oven. They’re delicious the next day, perhaps, soaked in some tea or coffee. But their value drops considerably in my eyes once a few hours has passed after they’ve cooled. By the time you’ve purchased it at a store, chances are, it’s been a few hours, if not days. Depending on where you buy them of course. I recently tried some from what’s supposed to be the best patisserie in Toronto and I was unimpressed. This isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about madeleines. I make them quite often, especially because I’m so picky about the ones I’ve purchased at even the best pastry shops. I even have a couple of different molds. But when my […]
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French pastries day 2: Guimauves and madeleines
French pastries day 2: Guimauves and madeleines
Day two of my French pastries course at the Bonnie Gordon school started quietly enough. We were to finish decorating the macarons we made the day before, and we were to bake the canelés batter sitting in the fridge. But in the middle of our demo on guimauves, I realized what I dismissed as a mere headache was quickly becoming a migraine, an ailment I had avoided since becoming pregnant and having my baby. At lunchtime, I swallowed a couple of pills thanks to a classmate, had a decent meal, drank some strong espresso and pretty soon the edge of my migraine had worn off. Thank goodness. Because making passion fruit, raspberry, and strawberry guimauves (French for marshmallows) is no laughing matter. You have to be vigilant every step of the process. But really, it’s not has hard as you may think. Once again, I will not supply the recipe […]
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Coconut madeleines (and lemon-scented ones too)
Coconut madeleines (and lemon-scented ones too)
Marcel Proust forever immortalized the madeleine in his book “Remembrance of Things Past” and it has since penetrated pop culture references in everything from “The Simpsons” to “The Sopranos.” Even Starbucks is selling these scallop shell-shaped French cookies at the counter. That’s enough to make even the most ambitious pastry chef cower at the thought of attempting to recreate these delicate mouthfuls. But it’s not as hard as it looks. I bought a no-stick madeleine pan at the Williams-Sonoma and stared at it for a few hours, revelling in its beauty. I finally worked up the nerve, telling myself that if I was to spend $34 on what was really just a pretentious cookie pan, I should get something out of it.Here’s the recipe I used for coconut madeleines from the glorious, fantastic, indulgent cookbook “Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth” by Jill O’Connor. Ingredients:2 […]
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Miette mini madeleine donuts
Miette mini madeleine donuts
Some time ago, I declared with some authority, that doughnuts were in fashion. (You will never hear me saying that cupcakes are out. That’s just ridiculous). Of course, the timing was poor because I have been on a diet (let’s call it a lifestyle change) for several months now. And the day I had two Timbits (doughnut holes for my American readers) I felt guilty for days. But when my husband showed me the Smart Planet mini donut maker, I had to have it. I don’t have any extra counter or drawer space so when I buy an appliance, it’s a big deal. Bonus: you can make the mini donuts without deep frying them. It’s more like a waffle maker with a super hot surface, if you can envision it. And they’re mini! I love mini anything. When you can fit two of anything in the palm of my hand, […]
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French pastries course day 1: Macarons and canelés
French pastries course day 1: Macarons and canelés
You’ve heard me say it a kajabillion times so I won’t draw this out for too long. I love macarons. But try as I might, I was unable to reproduce these heavenly confections in my own oven. So when Toronto’s Bonnie Gordon’s School of Confectionary Arts offered a two-day French pastries course teaching how to make macarons, among other things, I leapt at the opportunity. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, I cleared it with my husband and mother to see if they could cover watching my son for the two days before registering. And then I leapt. I had taken a one-day course at the school previously, if you may remember, but last time it was a cupcake workshop. Though I was comfortable in the setting, this two-day course seemed more intimidating. It was led by chef Charmaine Baan, formerly of Susur, Splendido and Prego Della Piazza, who also […]
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