A Question for the Bakers

[Pariah]

Have you ever made madelines? I can't get enough of those little devils. I'm thinking of getting a pan and trying my hand at makng them (i'm pretty good on a stovetop and a grill, but never really baked much).

Are they pretty easy? Do you have any tried and true recipes?

 

[abomb]

Never heard of or had them. A google search piques my interest though.

 

[Pariah]

Sometimes they have them (pre-packaged) on the counter at starbucks.

 

[AZZenny]

It's basically a very light genoise (like sponge cake but with a lot of eggs) and no other leavening, flavored with lemon or orange water (super delicate extract). Not that there's a lot of ingredients - butter, sugar, eggs, flour, flavoring -, they're just handled very specifically. Looking at a couple recipes, I would say (as a reasonably accomplished but by no means pro baker) they could be a bit challenging if you have not done much baking.

You'll need a decent electric beater, a sifter, as well as the baking pan, and it is a recipe that you can't short-cut. When it says 'beat eggs until they triple in volume and are pale lemon-colored' or 'add sugar 1/4 cup at a time and beat well after each addition' or 'sift flour over the top of the egg mixture and fold in gently' -- that's what you really have to do.

Of course if it takes you one or two tries to get them perfect, you get to lick the bowls and eat the discards.

 

[schutd]

Look at the big brain on Zenny! I was nost asuredly NOT meant to bake. I often try ice cream, which requires a bakers precision. Ive screwed it up as often as Ive been sucessfull. Was messing around with Xanthan gum (an emulsifier). I put too much in and ended up making rosemary and honey boogercream. GROSS! Sorry didnt mean to hijack...

 

[AZZenny]

I used to make genoise long, long ago for jelly rolls. Normally I'm the kind of baker who says, 'well if all the milk and all the flour end up in the same bowl eventually, why on earth fuss with alternate wet and dry ingredients, beating well after each addition.' But in my past year of pound cake addiction, I actually took time to do it right a couple times, and yes, there is a marked difference. I have no idea why.

In something as delicate as a madeleine, I'm sure it really would make the diff between success and failure.

 

[Linderbee]

Well, Pariah...the professional baker of the board says...



...never heard of 'em...sorry. I was sooo hoping it would be something I could answer.

I can tell you, though, everything Zenny said is spot on.

 

[schutd]

But in my past year of pound cake addiction, I actually took time to do it right a couple times, and yes, there is a marked difference. I have no idea why.

If you ever have the urge to nerd the hell out on food, check out "On Food and Cooking" BY Harold Magee. Food scientist, wrote a now indispensible volume on the chemistry behind food. I bet you could find your answer in there, though Id imagine it has something to do with the proteins in the egg enveloping the sugar crystals (the technique f beating sugar into egg until pale yellow is called Blanchir, FWIW) and blah blah blah. Its not exciting reading by any menas, but super interesting, none the less.

 

[Pariah]

Thanks, Zenny. Sounds like it might be ore involved than I have time for...but I'll giv it a shot sometime this year anyway. I tink a medeline pan will go on my "wishlist" for a bday gift.

I often try ice cream, which requires a bakers precision. Ive screwed it up as often as Ive been sucessfull.

I make ice cream all the time, and I don't see it as needing precision. Mostly I do it by the seat of my pants, trying various different things I have around the kitchen.

...unless you're talking about the much more involved frozen custard? With the eggs and all? I just use 2 cups whole milk, 2 cups heavy cream and some variation on 3/4 sugar (depending on the sugar content of my other ingredients).

 

[Pariah]

You'll need a decent electric beater,

Is this something different than my kitchenaide mixer?

 

[abomb]

But in my past year of pound cake addiction,

I would like to hear more about this.

 

[schutd]

Thanks, Zenny. Sounds like it might be ore involved than I have time for...but I'll giv it a shot sometime this year anyway. I tink a medeline pan will go on my "wishlist" for a bday gift.

I make ice cream all the time, and I don't see it as needing precision. Mostly I do it by the seat of my pants, trying various different things I have around the kitchen.

...unless you're talking about the much more involved frozen custard? With the eggs and all? I just use 2 cups whole milk, 2 cups heavy cream and some variation on 3/4 sugar (depending on the sugar content of my other ingredients).

Yah, Im still tying to get the egg amount right. Sometimes too eggy, sometimes not rich enough. I really do love Gelato, maybe I should just move to that. In terms of precision, I just meant its important to use super clean stuff and when using emulsifiers and stabilizers, you REALLY have to know proper ratios. Im seriously weak there. And you know us savory cooks, not a clean one in the bunch....

 

[Mulli]

looks like Joy of Cooking has a recipe.

 

[Heucrazy]

Yah, Im still tying to get the egg amount right. Sometimes too eggy, sometimes not rich enough. I really do love Gelato, maybe I should just move to that. In terms of precision, I just meant its important to use super clean stuff and when using emulsifiers and stabilizers, you REALLY have to know proper ratios. Im seriously weak there. And you know us savory cooks, not a clean one in the bunch....

To true.

 

[schutd]

To true.

Im so used to having porters come through and pick up my dirty pots and pans... Man, at home, I can trash the entire kitchen making mac and cheese.... from a box!

My wife is gonna kill me some day.

 

[Heucrazy]

Im so used to having porters come through and pick up my dirty pots and pans... Man, at home, I can trash the entire kitchen making mac and cheese.... from a box!

My wife is gonna kill me some day.

My wife is always asking me why it takes two sinks full of dishes for me to prepare one meal for the two of us. I have no answer.

 

[Jersey Girl]

My wife is always asking me why it takes two sinks full of dishes for me to prepare one meal for the two of us. I have no answer.

Tell her it's because you love her THAT much.

 

[Heucrazy]

Tell her it's because you love her THAT much.

Fantastic idea.

 

[abomb]

I get the feeling that most guys on the board do the majority of the cooking in their household. Am I wrong?

 

[AZZenny]

Ice cream isn't that hard -- I used to make a lemon-vanilla custard ice cream that was great.

A kitchenaid mixer would be fine -- you may need to run it on high for 4-5 minutes to 'blanchir' the eggs, so I figured some cheap little mixers might not take it -- and again, this isn't a hard recipe, it just will take time and a little patience. The only tricky part will be folding in the flour gently enough not to flatten the volume -- although I saw one recipe suggesting to lightly whisk in the flour. Just plan on a few hours the first time, until you work out a system.

I have a pretty serious pound cake addiction happening for about 9-10 months now -- I make a fine brandy-vanilla as well as a very delicate lemon, and a dark, dark chocolate marbled pound cake.

I have two approaches: cream butter and sugar until light and fluffOh that's good enough now dump in everything else beat it until there's no lumps and bake 1 hour.

Or, I sift all the dry stuff, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the five egg yolks and beat in one at a time, alternately add the milk and flavoring with the dry ingredients, beating well after each, then fold in the beaten egg whites and bake one hour etc. Either way, I then wrap it and refrigerate it for as long as I can go without (at least a week is best) and then every evening cut myself a couple super-thin slices to have plain, or with berries or liqueur. Keeps me from wiping out half a pint of ice cream or something worse before bed.

 

[Linderbee]

I get the feeling that most guys on the board do the majority of the cooking in their household. Am I wrong?

You need a separate thread for this one. Maybe I'll start it for you if you will update us on the darn Anger Management thread!

 

[Mulli]

Im so used to having porters come through and pick up my dirty pots and pans... Man, at home, I can trash the entire kitchen making mac and cheese.... from a box!

My wife is gonna kill me some day.

Me too.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Fantastic idea.

I'm full of them!