Friday, April 27, 2007

Orange Oil Madeleines



It's customary in Estonia to treat your colleagues for something special on your birthday. In return you get lots of beautiful flowers, so it's actually a pretty fair deal :-) My birthday is on the same day as the birthday of one of my dear senior colleagues, who's well known at the Institute for her excellent culinary skills. I remember having met her about a decade ago, fresh out of university (me, that is), and falling in love with her eggplant-filled spicy pastries that were served at one of the informal meetings at the Institute (I was only loosely attached to the Institute back then). In any case, Klara and I share birthdays, our love for cooking, and even our specific research focus (national identities and multiculturalism). It made only sense to combine our skills and efforts for the small lunch-time gathering at the Institute then on Wednesday.

When negotianting the details, Klara told me that she'd be bringing her traditional onion pie (which was mouthwateringly delicious!), and I could bring something sweet to accompany a cup of coffee. I decided to make a batch of Chocolate Cherry Muffins, and something else that can be eaten without a cake fork. As I had - finally - acquired a silicone madeleine form in London, I wanted to make these dainty French pastries. They have been popping on many of my favourite foodblogs (just see my del.icio.us tags), and my first plan was to make matcha madeleines. But as I had bought a bottle of decadent-sounding orange oil in London, then K. suggested I'd do something with orange oil instead of matcha.

Oh - and my chocolate cherry muffins and orange oil madeleines were just as popular and equally quickly consumed as Klara's traditional onion pie. We're quite a team :-)

Orange Oil Madeleines
(Madeleines-koogikesed apelsiniõliga)
Adapted from here and here.
Makes ca 100 mini madeleines (a 5 ml)



4 medium eggs
150 grams sugar
a pinch of salt
150 grams plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp orange oil (I used Boyajian Pure Orange Oil)
50 ml butter, melted

Pre-heat the oven to 190 Celsius. Brush the pans with some melted butter.
Beat together the eggs, sugar and salt in an electric mixer on medium-high speed, until you've got a thick pale foam. Add the Orange Oil.
Mix flour and baking powder, sift twice and gently mix into the eggs.
Fold in the melted butter until well combined.
Using a small teaspoon, spoon the batter into the greased madeleine pans (NB! there is no need to re-grease the madeleine pan between each batch later), so they'd be about 3/4 full.
Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 7 minutes, until the madeleines have raised and their edges turn lightly golden brown.
Remove the madeleines from the pan as soon as they come out of the oven (flip the silicone form over a parchment paper and if necessary, push them gently out). Cool.
Madeleines are best on the day they're baked, but you can store them in an airtight container for a day.

10 comments:

K and S said...

Happy Birthday! What a great way to celebrate! Those madelines look very nice! Have a great year!

Ilva said...

Happy birthday! How beautiful they are!

Anonymous said...

Lovely Pille! Love them.

Happy birthday to you!

Susan from Food Blogga said...

I've never baked with orange oil, but I'd love to try these dainty delights!

jasmine said...

Happy belated birthday!

Your madeleines look lovely--mine rarely turn out so beautifully.

j

neil said...

Yes, a very Happy Birthday indeed. Those madeleines look scrumptious. Was it the orange oil that turned them that lovely hue?

Freya said...

Yep, Happy Birthday! A great present to yourself! I have some orange oil that I've never used so you have inspired me once again!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! :) Your madelaines look lovely! I can never get mine to get all golden...I thought at first that it was because my mold was silicone, but so is yours. Any tips? :)

Anonymous said...

Pille, where shall I start? such lovely post. Belated birthday congratulations. It sounds as if you had a really lovely celebration. How great to have another colleague who loves cooking and sharing. I don't have any that live nearby.miss that. Now the madeleeines, had to come and look for the post after you left your commetns on mine. I have never used orange oil. I don't think that I have ever seen it. List is growing - exciting. The madeleines look so gorgeous.i will copy to give it a go.

Pille said...

K & S - thank you for your kind wishes!!

Ilva - they did turn out pretty well, considering it was my first time to make madeleines..

Bea - thanks! Your matcha madeleines are next on the list!

Susan - it was my first time, too, but the flavour was an instant hit with us, so it definitely wasn't the last time..

Jasmine - I'm sure they do!

Neil - I think it's a combination of really yellow eggs and ... dark evening light:)

Freya & Paul - well, the silicone madeleine pan was a present to myself, and the madeleines marked the birthday nicely, too..

Joey - thank you! Can't give any tips yet, as I've only made them once. Who knows, maybe I just experienced beginner's luck:)

Valentina - I got the orange oil from Fortnum&Mason in London, I believe. And I will be definitely trying your buckwheat madeleines soon - they sound so intriguing!