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Cooking With Christie: My Nemesis 

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This Week’s Recipe: Orange & Earl Grey Madeleines

Inspiration: Do you have a bake you’ve tried and tried — but it never turns out as it should? Well, if you haven’t, you’re one lucky duck! 

In my case, my nemesis is madeleines. 

No matter how many times I tried, I just could never make them turn out. Sometimes, they didn’t rise correctly; other times, they turned out tough as old boots, and on more than one occasion, I singed them….Yet, I persevered. 

Why? Because I love those tiny little cakes!

Then I found this recipe by Think Fruitful and the Great British Bake Off set them as a challenge….and between these two sources and finding a pan that worked for me, I FINALLY made a successful batch after several years of trying! 

Were they perfect? No. Were they good enough? Yes.

Over the last several years, I’ve gotten better at baking these tricky little treats, but I’ve still, on occasion, failed. So, let me tell you about the DREAD that filled my heart when one of my husband’s coworkers humbly requested Earl Grey Madeleines for her birthday…..Not only because these tasty tidbits and I share a complicated history — but also because I’ve never really managed to get a tea to infuse its full flavor into a bake. 

Despite all this, I decided to give them a go.

Eschewing all other recipes for the singular one that works for me, I adapted the Birthday Cake Madeleine recipe. First, I swapped out the vanilla and almond extracts for Earl Grey tea and the zest of one medium sized orange. The orange zest, plays well with the bergamot in the tea and adds an extra layer of flavor. (Plus, I still was not confident I could get a strong tea flavor into the cakes.) 

Second, I cut open six tea bags and steeped the leaves directly in the butter for one minute whilst the butter was over the heat, then another five after I took it off the stove. Next, I strained the tea leaves through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Finally, I remeasured the butter and added a few grams back in — as not all of the butter made it through the transfer. 

And….drumroll, please…..they turned out magnificent!

To make them extra special, I dipped them in 64% dark chocolate chocolate and sprinkled some pearlescent nonpareils onto the chocolate while it was still melty. The nonpareils added a bit of texture, whilst the 64% dark Madagascar chocolate, which the producers blended to have some citrusy notes, added a bit more texture and added yet another layer of flavor to the cake!

Christie: I finally made something I think Poirot would eat! Not only did these Madeleines taste great, they actually looked pretty as well!

Huzza!

Cooking With Christie: Easy Cookies

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This Week’s Recipe: Thumbprint Cookies

Inspiration: Recently, I found a vintage Betty Croker Cookbook at an estate sale and picked up a jar of lingonberry preserves from a German deli a few weeks later. Combine these separate events with a lemon themed going away party — you get thumbprint cookies.

Now, it’s been a hot minute since I made traditional thumbprint cookies. Yet, I still couldn’t keep myself from changing the recipe a bit, mainly because I cannot come into contact with nuts without blowing up. So I totally skipped the portion of the recipe where you whip an egg white, dip the dough in it, and then roll the dough ball in nuts.

Thereby illustrating what I love about Betty Crocker Picture Cook Books — the recipes inside are generally so basic it allows you to play with them and still produce edible bakes….about 95% of the time.

I also substituted lemon extract for vanilla and adding lemon zest to the dough. Not a huge change, I admit, but I felt confident in making them!

Even better, they turned out great! Lingonberry and lemon go really well together!

Christie: I can see Miss Marple baking these for an under-the-weather friend since you can slip some extra vitamin C into the mix to help them recover faster! Plus, taking baked goods to a neighbor is a wonderful way to get invited inside, where one can either exchange local news (aka gossip) or conduct a gentle interrogation over tea and biscuits!

Cooking With Christie!

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This Week’s Recipe: Red Enchilada Sauce

Inspiration: Once again, in the midst of a craving sparked by the Pioneer Woman’s: Super Easy cookbook, I decided to whip up my own red enchilada sauce. After perusing the internet, I found this recipe that I thought looked delicious and for once in a row I followed the recipe to the letter!

Can you believe it?

Spicey, without being overwhelmingly hot, with a hint of chocolate (that added some deep rich notes) the sauce turned out great! Especially when mixed up with shredded chicken, bell peppers, guacamole…..but that’s next week’s recipe!

Christie: I think Colonel Race, being a very opened minded detective and having traveled the world rather extensively, would enjoy anything smothered in this deep rich red sauce!