Tea and Cookies (17 page)

Lime Madeleines

MAKES
2 DOZEN
MADELEINES

I wonder how many people have been inspired to make madeleines by reading Proust’s evocation of his dipping one of the cakelike cookies into a cup of lime blossom tea. Madeleines are made from the most basic of pastry ingredients, yet some bakers find them tricky, so I’ve included many tips in my recipe.

Softened unsalted butter for the pans

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Grated zest of 1 lime

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1.
Using a pastry brush, generously butter the molds in two madeleine pans, being sure to get into the grooves. Do not flour the pans. Place the pans in the freezer to chill while making the batter.

2.
Melt the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, and let boil until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan turn light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 minute. Skim the foam from the top of the butter. Carefully pour the browned butter into a medium bowl, leaving the browned milk solids behind in the saucepan. Let stand until tepid, about 15 minutes. Add the lime zest and vanilla.

3.
Crack the eggs into a heatproof medium bowl and place in a larger bowl of hot tap water. With a clean finger stir the eggs until they lose their chill and are heated until lukewarm. Add the sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is tripled in volume and very pale yellow, about 4 minutes.

4.
Whisk the flour and salt together. In two additions, sift over the egg mixture and fold it in with a large balloon whisk or a rubber spatula. Transfer about one-fourth of the batter to the butter-vanilla mixture and whisk together to combine. Return this mixture to the batter and fold it in. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the batter is chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

5.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the chilled molds, filling them about two-thirds full. Do not overfill the molds. The mounds of chilled batter will help the madeleines bake with their characteristic hump, so do not smooth the batter.

6.
Bake until the madeleines are golden brown and begin to shrink from the sides of the molds, about 15 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Using the dull tip of a dinner knife, gently loosen each madeleine from its mold. Invert each pan and rap it on the work surface to release the madeleines. Transfer to a wire cake rack and let cool completely. (The madeleines can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

LAVENDER MADELEINES:
These perfumed madeleines are for your tea guests with the most sophisticated palates. Omit the lime zest. Grind 1 teaspoon dried lavender in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder into a coarse powder. (Be sure to use edible dried lavender, available at spice stores and many supermarkets, and not sprayed lavender intended for potpourri.) Add the lavender to the skimmed browned butter in the bowl and let stand for 20 minutes.

MADELEINE PANS

Madeleine pans have shell-shaped indentations and are made of aluminum, tin, or plain or black steel. While there are nonstick pans, most are uncoated, making the baked cookies difficult to remove. A generous brushing of well-softened butter (rather than a dusting of flour) helps solve this problem, and adds to the browning of the madeleines as well. The black steel pans absorb the oven heat more readily than the shiny metal ones. Because of this, madeleines baked in black pans bake quickly, so watch them carefully to avoid burning.

Currant Cream Scones

MAKES
9
SCONES

Scones, being cut from dough, are not-too-distant relatives of cookies, and, of course, they are forever associated with tea. Slather these flaky, buttery scones with clotted cream or butter and a good jam, and you will be transported to the British Isles. Take care when rerolling the scraps: Just gather up the bits of dough and press them gently together, as overhandling will lead to tough scones.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, chilled

½ cup dried currants

1 large egg yolk

Scant 1 cup heavy cream, as needed, plus more for glazing the scones

1.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Add the butter and mix to separate the butter cubes and coat them with flour. Using a pastry blender, cut the cubes into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs with pea-size pieces of butter. Do not cut until the mixture is evenly crumbly—the larger pieces of butter will help make the scones flaky. Add the currants.

3.
Put the yolk in a 1- or 2-cup glass measuring cup and add enough heavy cream to measure 1 cup and beat together with a fork to combine. Stirring the flour mixture with a large fork, add the cream mixture and mix just until a soft, tacky dough forms.

4.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using lightly floured hands, pat the dough into a ¾-inch-thick round. Using a 2¼-inch-diameter biscuit cutter, cut out the scones and transfer to the baking sheet. Gather up the scraps, pat out again, and cut the remaining scones. Brush the tops lightly with cream.

5.
Bake until the scones are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then serve warm or cool to room temperature. (The scones are best the day they are made. Leftovers can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost, split, and toast the scones before serving warm.)

CLASSIC TRIANGULAR SCONES:
Scones are named for the Stone of Scone, a triangular rock formation that was the traditional throne of the kings of Scotland. Cutting the dough in the classic wedge shape sidesteps the problem of rerolling the scraps that occur when the scones are cut into rounds. Pat out the dough into an 8-inch round about ¾ inch thick. Cut into 8 equal wedges. Place 1 inch apart on the baking sheet, brush with cream, and bake as directed above.

Pistachio Meringues

MAKES ABOUT
2½ DOZEN
COOKIES

Proust had his madeleines, but I have my meringues. During my first trip to Paris, every pastry shop held a new discovery. I remember the first time I experienced these cookies, shatteringly crisp on the outside, but creamy within, dotted with pistachios, at the premier Parisian tea shop, Mariage Frères. I brought back a bottle of pistachio extract with me so I could re-create the meringues at home. (You can find the extract online at www.amazon.com and www.jacksonvillemercantile.com.) Don’t make these during humid or rainy weather, and be sure to allow plenty of time for them to bake slowly.

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

2¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, divided

Green food coloring gel (optional)

¾ teaspoon pistachio or almond extract

½ cup (2 ounces) shelled pistachios

1.
Position racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 200°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.
Whip the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they are foamy. Increase the speed to high and add 2¼ cups of the confectioners’ sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the mixture forms stiff, shiny peaks. Tint the meringue pale green with the food coloring, if using. Beat in the pistachio extract.

3.
Process the pistachios and the remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar in a food processor until very finely chopped. Fold into the egg white mixture.

4.
Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch-diameter open star tip, such as Ateco #825. Pipe rosettes of the mixture, about 1 inch wide and 1 inch high, onto the baking sheets, spacing them about 1½ inches apart.

5.
Bake, switching the position of the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the meringues are crisp and can be easily lifted from the baking sheets, about 2½ hours. Turn off the oven and prop the door ajar with a wooden spoon. Let the cookies cool on their sheets in the oven for at least 6 hours or overnight.

6.
Remove from the baking sheets and serve. (The meringues can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)

Sesame Balls

MAKES ABOUT
2½ DOZEN
COOKIES

These Asian-style cookies complement many teas, especially the hot Gingered Green Tea on page 31. For a dramatic look, substitute black sesame seeds (available at Asian and Indian markets) for the standard white seeds.

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks