Mmmmadeleines

During a visit to my local cook shop the other day, I was amazed to discover that the new owners stock EVERYTHING to do with cake making and decorating. I’ve been after items like this for a while; for example, edible gold dust for cakes, etc. (I know Waitrose sells this, but only recently) I’d previously bought some glitter flakes for cake decoration from Lakeland, and wasn’t very happy with them. They basically looked like someone had dropped shredded kitchen towel all over my otherwise well-presented cupcakes.

ANYWAY, more on this shop later. I’ve promised the new owners that I’ll go back in a more ‘official’ capacity to do an interview. But while I was there, I found, surprise upon surprise, a MADELEINE TIN.

I’ve been wanting to have a go at making madeleines ever since I saw them on Pinch My Salt. (I have to stop talking about this blog, it’s getting ridiculous). You can find the recipe, along with pictures etc, here: http://pinchmysalt.com/2010/01/07/my-first-madeleines/

For me, there’s something reassuringly nostalgic and familiar about madeleines. Ever since I was little, my family have always visited a particular area in Brittany called Sables d’Or les Pins. We normally go around once a year, although when I was younger I would happily spend four or five weeks playing on the beach and in the sand dunes. Due to the fact that my aunt and uncle purchased some property out there, we are now officially known as ‘Les Anglaises’ by the local populace. In any case, whenever we visited, there would always be a bag of madeleines in the cupboard, along with a Quarte-Quarts. (Or as we called it, Yard-long Cake)

The bay at Sables d'Or les Pins

I was quite pleased with how my very first homemade madeleines turned out. I’d half convinced myself that they would fail dismally purely because I’m not French. I was guilty however of over-filling the tins, hence the flat edges to the cakes. Next time, I will achieve better proportions, perhaps. Or maybe I should just give up and hop over to Sables d’Or… there IS a bakery below my relatives’ flat, after all…

First attempt madeleines; with slightly too crispy edges...