Blood Orange Dark Chocolate Madeleines Recipes

BLOOD ORANGE & DARK CHOCOLATE MADELEINES

Steps:

• Put the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat until it foams and turns a nutty brown colour - watch the pan carefully, as butter can burn quickly. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool.
• Beat the eggs, sugar and zest in a large bowl with an electric hand whisk for about 5 mins until thick and pale. Add the juice and mix to combine. Mix the flour and baking powder together, then sift over the batter mixture, a third at a time, and fold in.
• Add a large spoonful of the batter to the butter, mixing together until smooth and combined. Pour this into the batter and gently fold together until fully combined. Press a sheet of cling film onto the surface of the mixture and chill overnight.
• About 30 mins before you want to bake the madeleines, grease a 12-hole madeleine tin with a little extra butter and dust with a little flour. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put the tin in the freezer to chill for 30 mins. Remove the batter from the fridge and add about 1 heaped tbsp to each madeleine hole - be careful not to overfill as they will bake over the edge and won't form the characteristic hump. Depending on the size of your tin, you will have some batter left - either bake in batches or put the rest back in the fridge and bake within three days.
• Bake in the oven for 10-12 mins or until golden brown around the edges. Immediately turn out the madeleines onto a wire rack and leave to cool fully. Put the chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and heat in the microwave on High in 30 sec bursts until about three-quarters of the chocolate has melted. Remove from the microwave and stir vigorously until the remaining chocolate has melted (this is a simple method of tempering and just ensures the chocolate will set properly at room temperature). Dip each madeleine halfway into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off, then place on a sheet of baking parchment. As the chocolate starts to set, but while still a little tacky, sprinkle with some of the Blood orange dust (below), if using, and allow to cool.

DARK CHOCOLATE MADELEINES

Steps:

• Position rack at center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• Generously butter the twelve indentations of a madeleine mold pan (where each shell is 3-by-2-inches). Lightly dust the indentations with flour and remove the excess.
• In the top of a double boiler set over hot, not simmering, water, melt the chocolate, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove the top of the double boiler containing the chocolate and set aside to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set at med-high, beat the butter and the sugar together for 30-60 seconds, until creamy.
• Add the egg yolk and continue mixing for 20-30 seconds, until light.
• Beat in the melted chocolate.
• Reduce the speed to low and mix in the milk and vanilla.
• Add the flour mixture and mix just until smooth.
• In a medium bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set at low speed, beat the egg white until frothy. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating the egg white, until stiff, shiny peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Fold the egg white into the chocolate mixture, until evenly mixed.
• Divide the batter between the buttered molds. Smooth the tops so that the batter is level with the top of each mold.
• Bake the madeleines for 12 to 15 minutes, until they spring back when gently pressed with a finger. Do not overbake, otherwise the madeleines will lose their moist, almost fudgy texture.
• Cool the madeleines in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Unmold the madeleines by inverting the pan onto a work surface and gently tapping.
• Serve them warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container.

DARK-CHOCOLATE MADELEINES WITH CHOCOLATE MINT GLAZE

Steps:

• In a small, heavy saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until light golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder.
• Strain the mixture and let cool until tepid.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate, and allow it to cool slightly.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl and set aside.
• Place the eggs, egg yolk and the granulated sugar into a 4 1/2 -quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer.
• Place the bowl with the eggs and sugar over a bowl of hot water to warm them, stirring frequently until the sugar begins to dissolve.
• Remove the bowl with the eggs and sugar from the water and dry off the bottom.
• Attach the bowl to the mixer and beat the egg mixture using the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks when the beater is lifted.
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
• In a clean, grease-free bowl using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until they form stiff but not dry peaks.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the egg-sugar mixture.
• Fold in the melted butter and chocolate. Finally, fold in the egg whites. Place the madeleine batter in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.
• Place 2 racks in the lower half of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
• Butter and flour two 12-mold madeleine pans. Chill the pans briefly.
• Remove the pans and the batter from the refrigerator.
• Place a dollop of batter in each mold and smooth with an offset palette knife or spatula.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly touched.
• Do not overbake.
• Remove the madeleines from the molds and cool on a wire rack.
• To make mint-chocolate glaze, place chopped chocolate into a heat-resistant bowl.
• In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil.
• Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1 minute before stirring.
• Stir gently until the chocolate is melted and combined.
• Stir in the mint extract.
• Using a pastry brush, generously glaze half of the shell side of each madeleine.
• Allow the glaze to set before wrapping in plastic or storing in an airtight container.