COCONUT & LIME MADELEINES - CHOCOLATE MADELEINES - Tuesdays with Dorie

                                                    
Tuesdays With Dorie
Thanks to Tara of Smells Like Home for choosing this weeks recipe from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan. She chose Traditional Madeleines on pages 166-168. Tuesdays With Dorie has grown to 189 members now! They're closing in fast on The Daring Bakers 900+ members!
                                                                   

Coconut & Lime Madeleines
I wasn't sure if I was going to do this weeks challenge as I didn't have the right Madeleine pans. I gave them away like I gave away far too many things in our haste to run away! I find I'm missing these cute little pans, tools and gadgets now. But...maybe if I post another "This is what I want, what I really, really want" post for my birthday, I may get more than just my handy dandy mixer! I have my eye on a mini food processor and I know I can find a place for it on the boat. Something else will just have to go, like John's shoes or his CD's.
                                                                        

The last time we were in Vermont visiting the kids, I was poking through some of our stuff and came across my brand new heart shaped nonstick pans. I think they're from Wilton, but I couldn't find a name on them. I had three, but brought two back with me and boy, am I glad I did now! I wasn't sure they'd even fit in my Easy Bake Oven, but it slid in with only an inch to spare. So, I figured, I'm back in business!
                                                                           

Limes or Lemons? Limes or Lemons?
I briefly glanced at the recipe, but not really. It looked like all I needed was some eggs this time. WOW! A recipe from Dorie that wasn't gonna break the bank! But, here we go with the butter again! I swear, I don't know how that woman stays so thin, or is it all done with smoke and mirrors? Anyway...I got home and procrastinaed again like usual and when I went to make them, I found out I didn't have a lemon! I did however,  have a lime. Can I use that? Heck yeah! So I proceeded to zest the cute little lime with my super duper Microplane zester. If you don't already own one of these miracles of the baking world, you really must spend the money and get one! I think they're about $10.00 from any kitchen store like Bed Bath & Beyond. I've had mine for years and wouldn't part with it for anything!
                                                                        

"Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both up, Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the moooooorning."*
The scent was intoxicating as I put the lime zest into the batter and mixed it in. I thought, What goes with lime? I don't want to use vanilla like it says in the recipe, that would be rather boring. OOh, OOh, OOh! I have coconut extract! (Who would have pure coconut extract hanging around in a boat?) That would be perfect together like the song says, "Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both up!" I had that silly song in my head the rest of the day! The batter was sooo delicious, I wanted to eat it right out of the bowl! (When John wasn't looking, I did sneak some!)  What a great blend! Like a sophisticated wine-pairing, only not!

Using this recipe and these pans, it made 4 large hearts. I also made the chocolate Madeleines as well, which gave me a grand total of 8 wonderful, slightly crusty on the outside and moist on the inside, Madeleines. That recipe was straight from the book, although I did decorate them with Chocolate Ganache.

We sat down "To Tea" that night and had a lovely little snack. John loved them as much as I did. Of course, he has to have a big glass of cold milk on the side, because it is cake after all!

I would definitely make them again, but just the Coconut Lime Madeleines. That's how much I loved them! I'm staring at the last one right now and wonder if I can justify eating it in the name of a Writer's Perk? I'll say it again...Heck Yeah!
                                                                           

Coconut & Lime Madeleines adapted from the recipe "Traditional Madeleines" by Dorie Greenspan
2/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lime
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon coconut extract
3/4 stick, (6 Tablespoons) unsalted, melted and cooled
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lime zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the coconut extract. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pans on a baking sheet.
Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don't worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven's heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11-13 minutes, adn minis for 8-10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleins from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any stubborn madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to coolto just warm or to room temperature.
If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.
Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners' sugar.
                                                                      

Chocolate Madeleines
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 stick (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together.
Follow directions above for the Traditional Madeleines, except...
Place the pans in the oven and immediately lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake as directed above.

Dorie says you can fill the Chocolate Madeleines with Marshmallow Fluff and then dip them in chocolate sauce. I decorated them chocolate ganache which you can find here.

* Lyrics by Harry Nilsson
                                                                                 

Comments

[kim]

the hearts are really cute! that's quite a variety of flavors, they all look delicious :)

[Julia]

How adorable! I want to eat these right up!

[Caitlin]

Very cute, and sprinkles too! I love the swirled one!

[Bumblebutton]

Super cute! I want a chocolate one...

[katrina]

So Cute!
We must be on the same wavelength - I made lime hearts too!
Though mine were mini, and I added Matcha.

I live the look of the half & half one.

[Melissa]

What great ideas!

[Heather]

I love the hearts! coconut and lime? yum! Great job!

[Rebecca]

Lime and coconut! What a yummy combination.

[mimi]

look at all those different madeleines! they look great, and i bet the flavor combos were delish!

[Susan]

Great idea and inventive use of pans you already had (heart shaped pans on a boat, I think? I swear that sailboat must be much bigger than you let on.)
So cute - you really do inspire me...I might actually try these sometime!

[Cheryl]

Glad they worked in the heart pans! They look wonderful!

[Mara]

those are so cute donna!! i made some coconut & lime cookies last wkd so i can imagine just how tasty these babies would have been. yum!

[Gretchen Noelle]

Adorable heart shapes! Great idea! I really do need one of those microplane zesters.

[steph (whisk-spoon)]

pan or no pan, those are some tasty cakes!

[Christine]

I love my microplane zester it is the best thing! Love the heart shaped coconut and lime cakes. They look to pretty to eat but I am sure they were delicious!

[JacqueOH]

What a fun read. I heart your madeleines, lol.

[Jayne]

Yum - love lime, love coconut! Sounds like a keeper!

[Garrett]

Very interesting take on the madeleines! This all looks very yummy.

[Natalie]

Mmmm... coconut lime! I may have to give that a try :)

[Di]

I'll pass on the coconut, but I may have to give the lime a try. =) And the chocolate ones are already on my list. Your hearts turned out very cute. Good improvisation, as usual.

[Liliana]

Donna, I saw your madeleines on TasteSpotting!! They look fabulous.

The lime and coconut combinations sounds delcious.

[Kristy]

I made key lime coconut madeleines. We must have been thinking the same!

[Ulrike]

I like your hearts, what a great idea!

[Carrie]

I'm loving all the varieties! Great job :)

[diva@theSugarBar]

o wow. so pretty! i'm having bad sugar cravings. would love one of those!

[CB]

Look at you! *cough OVERACHIEVER cough* I am a sucker for hearts so I think its better than the shell! Great job!
Clara @ I♥food4thought

[Holly]

How sweet are these! Great job!

[Chuck]

OMG, those Madeleiines look fantastic! Your photos are stunning and delicious. Can you send me a dozen or two or three :) Great job!

[rainbowbrown]

How cool, your variations are awesome. And I dig your pan improvisation, very cute.

[brilynn]

Those are so pretty! And yummy I'm sure...

[Mandy]

coconut and lime is such a great flavor combo! Seeing all these TWD posts on madeleines really make me want to whip up a batch now.

[Jaime]

i love your version of these madeleines! so cute! and i love the different flavors :)

[mari]

You're so creative Donna, these look just delish!

[LyB]

Heart shapes just make everything that much cuter! I would definitely try lime in these it sounds wonderful!

[Dolores]

Okay, now I need the heart pan! Great job. Next time I'll try lime and coconut.

[Erin]

Very cute! I loved that you used a heart mold instead of the traditional Madeleine pan.

[Becky]

cuuute! i love madeleines and these heart ones look really tasty!