"She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called 'petites madeleines', which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim's shell. And soon, mechanically, weary after a dull day with the prospect of a depressing morrow, I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid, and the crimbs with it, touched my palate than a shudder ran through my whole body, and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses..." Marcel Proust, Swann's Way (from "À la recherche du temps perdu").
Last night--while watching Sense & Sensibility for the 100th time-- I had a couple madeleines-- shell-shaped, buttery, cakey and so beautiful--with my tea and was once again instantly transported to one of my favorite books, passages and films.
Madeleines are without a doubt one of my ultimate treats to bake (Meyer Lemon and lavender flavored) and to eat (taken with or without linden tea). But when in a lazy mood, when I do not feel like baking, DonSueMor Madeleines (Kosher too) are the ones I reach for.
They tend to be a tad pricey at Starbuck's but Trader Joe's carries them (in the bread section) for a lot less (about six per package). They come in very handy to keep around for unexpected visitors or when a pot of tea is just the right thing to indulge in. And whether you buy the butter, lemon or chocolate versions they are almost as good as homemade.
