One of my favorite passages in literature is from Borges’s The Aleph where he talks about this thing called the Aleph. In order to see it you have to go down a staircase to a basement and then eventually in the cracks of the staircase you can see everything in the universe all at once. I’ll just throw the quote in, sorry it’s long, but it’s one of my faves:
“On the back part of the step, toward the right, I saw a small iridescent sphere of almost unbearable brilliance. At first I thought it was revolving; then I realized that this movement was an illusion created by the dizzying world it bounded. The Aleph’s diameter was probably little more than an inch, but all space was there, actual and undiminished. Each thing (a mirror’s face, let us say) was infinite things, since I distinctly saw it from every angle of the universe. I saw the teeming sea; I saw daybreak and nightfall; I saw the multitudes of America; I saw a silvery cobweb in the center of a black pyramid; I saw a splintered labyrinth (it was London); I saw, close up, unending eyes watching themselves in me as in a mirror; I saw all the mirrors on earth and none of them reflected me…I saw the Aleph from every point and angle, and in the Aleph I saw the earth and in the earth the Aleph and in the Aleph the earth; I saw my own face and my own bowels; I saw your face; and I felt dizzy and wept, for my eyes had seen that secret and conjectured object whose name is common to all men but which no man has looked upon —the unimaginable universe.”
Why do I bring this up? And what on earth does it have to do with madeleines? Well, this weekend, I went upstate to my parents’ house–the house they built for us, the house my brother was born in and we all grew up in– for the last time. My parents have sold it and they are moving. The visit was much like every other visit, it is home after all. I remember the first time I stepped foot into my bedroom when the house was still a frame, fighting with my sister for the room with the view, even though it was the smallest. Below is a picture from my last moments in that room. This is the home that bore witness to much of my childhood, ushered me through my teenage years, greeted my visits home from college, housed me briefly in fits and spurts through my adult years.
For this visit I came wielding a knife. The house, the backdrop of my days, has enabled me to see my aleph because for so many years it was the center of my universe. So a little after midnight, I beckoned my brother and my husband to come downstairs with me to the basement where we used to play and leave a little aleph- our initials or whatever our secret mark is- for posterity on the back of the staircase. We carved for a while, each in our own reverie. Something to say we were there. I was here. I am here. Of course my brother shut the door on me, leaving me alone in the scary basement for old times’ sake.
I’m sure I will see the elusive aleph many times in my life if I’m lucky because we are all a part of it. As a way of embracing the world through food and keeping me close to what I love and for comfort from the snow that has been heaped upon New York, I attempted a French butter cake. They’re actually quite simple! You can make them lemony, orange, savory with different herbs, chocolate, poppy seed or plain. I’ve already done them a few times, once with a heavy hand on the zest, another with a heavier rosemary touch. They take 15 minutes to make. I made this batch as a warm midnight snack. Depending on how long you beat the batter you may or may not get the defining hump in the middle. My first batch was perfect, the second was a little flatter. Both were delicious. Experiment and enjoy!
Ingredients:
Petite Lemon Rosemary Madeleines
adapted from allrecipes.com
Makes 1 dozen
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (or orange zest)
- 1 handful fresh rosemary (2 to 3 sprigs)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter madeleine molds; set aside. Melt butter and let cool to room temperature. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed with an electric beater until light.
Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes. Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition. Add lemon zest and rosemary and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds about a tablespoon in each shell; it will mound slightly above tops.
Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip. Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they’re baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.
NYC winter
Warwick, NY Winter
When life gives you snow, pull out your snow mobile. We do it right in Warwick!
My front yard
The last view from my room.
These look gorgeous. I love rosemary flavoured desserts.
Thanks so much. Me too! Rosemary makes just about anything taste better.
Dear Amanda,
What a wonderful post! It brought tears to my eyes, and reminded me that it has been much too long since I last read Borges. Your memories, the dreamy snowy pictures and the madeleines make it an almost proustian post! I love that you all went to the basement to leave a mark in the house, it is your house after all!
As to the madeleines, they look delicious, and the characteristic hump is nowadays considered overrated, many famous French pâtissiers no longer care about whether their madeleines have it or not. What counts is how delicious they are, and I am sure yours were perfect!
Aw. Thank you, Darya. You are too sweet. Thanks for letting me know that the hump is overrated. I was so afraid to venture into French pastry land because it’s all so careful and delicious. But these I can do!
A friend of mine went to a Michelin star restaurant in Paris last year, and they served madeleines with the coffee after the meal, and when she asked for their secret ingredient, they not only told her, but also said that really, “who cares about the hump nowadays”? 🙂
And here I was trying to find the best tricks to get those humps! I did it, incidentally, by chilling the batter before baking, and the cakes sure came out with pronounced humps. Of course, mine were just plain ones. These are much fancier and much better-looking. I have no doubt tastier, too! Beautiful post, Amanda, and thank you, Darya, for letting us know that “humps” were so yesterday. 🙂
Haha! Totally. Thank you for your comment. My humps were accidental because I let the batter sit for like 5 mins. The second time, almost hump free. Good thing they’re a thing of the past 🙂
A wonderful post and wondrous pics. Any one can write a post but to throw in character and bit of yourself to a scrutinizing world full of strangers, it takes courage and spirit.
Thank you so much. That’s such a kind comment. I don’t want to be an oversharer and I don’t want to alienate people who just read for the recipes, but I’ve definitely put myself out there a bit and will suffer the consequences (usually from family). 🙂
These are so wonderful. Surprised by the rosemary. The trouble with these are they as so light that you find you can’t stop at just one. I was sad to read your parents have sold their house but wonderful that you have left your mark for others coming in. In years to come they will wonder whose initials they are and wonder what you look like! I love finding little things like that in old houses. We left a box under the floorboards with little treasures in for future owners to find.
Oh what a cool idea, Maria! I like that too. I like to wonder about the people who came before, their hopes, dreams, struggles. That’s cool that you did that. I wonder if they found it. I agree with you about eating too many. I like to add a hint of savory to sweet things, to make them even better!
Your reminiscences remind me of this
Empty Old Houses
Empty old houses can talk…
But one must know how to listen…
to hear them
Empty old houses have stories…
But one must be eager to listen…
to hear them
Empty old houses can suffer..
But one must have empathy …
To feel it
Empty old houses can feel pain
But one must be able to bear it …
To feel it
Empty old houses have memories
But one must believe … that they have…
To share them
Empty old houses contain people’s lives
But one must believe…that they do…
To share them
Empty old houses can seem dead and deserted
But one must know that they’re not..
To know them
Empty old houses can teem with life’s pleasures
But one must walk through
to sense the aura of life
Empty old houses abound in life’s treasures
But one cannot help but…
To admire them
by David Whalen
Jovina, what a beautiful poem. Thank you so much for that. It’s nice to know that my sentimentality can be seen as a gift, not a flaw. And thanks again for your email yesterday. I love comments from you.
I love them. I need to think about buying a mould. They look excellent.
Thanks, Conor. I couldn’t find a nice antique mold so I got one at a discount store and I’ll use it as often as I need, but won’t feel beholden to it.
You need a lot of madeleines for that cold – great flavours BTW 😉
Thanks, MD. I totally agree. They’re too easy to make and I fear I’ll eat them all.
This is by far my most favorite of your posts! One of my favorite authors & French cuisine! Your writing in this post is most inspirational! I’m so impressed!! Thank you for this. post, Amanda!
Que dulce, JM. Thank you for your generous comment. I like that you like stories. You tell such great ones on your own blog. Abrazos.
Gorgeous recipe (I need a madeleine tin!) and I loved the quote and the story you shared with us – thank you!
Thanks, Chica! I got mine at a discount store after failing to find a gorgeous old one. Sometimes new is better, even if it has less character.
How brave you are, leave me in a dark basement (and trying to see an aleph) and I’ll freak out! Such beautiful snow scenes. And lovely madeleines, they would be perfect for breakfast. xx
I ate them for breakfast. LOL not brave. The lights were on and we were together. When my bro shut the door I was not trying to see the aleph. I was scared and merely kicking and screaming to let me out while the boys were laughing like children. Way to kill the moment bro!
Aha, ok, totally see myself reflect there! My brother doesn’t (or hasn’t) done that to me. What he has done is put strange insects in my face, believe me, when we lived in Asia he go some big strange ones. Once he had a false spider stuck on his ceiling, I couldn’t see if it was real or not without my glasses, and had a screaming fit when he was taking it down to show me 🙂
Hahha! Now that sounds like a brother. My brother did the same thing to me with a fake cockroach. It was awful. Sigh..brothers.
Oh yes, sigh! 🙂
I really enjoyed this post…happy that you left your mark where you had such wonderful memories. Your sweet and savory madeleines sound great. 🙂
Thanks so much, Karen. I really appreciate your reading.
I would never have thought of this! How delicious it must be. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Aw. Thank you. Adding a savory element makes them so much better.
Memories of the childhood home. I love that shit. Very nice.
🙂 Thanks, man.
Amanda, The photos go very well with the touching goodbye story. I am one of those people, rosemary don’t like. However, I find these Madeleines very delectable even w/o the presence of rosemary. And, boy they look gorgeous!
Thank you, Fae. Really, I never would have guessed that you and rosemary don’t get along! You have such an array of flavors, herbs and spices in all of your dishes, both savory and sweet. So interesting. You could just amp up the citrus on these and leave rosemary out. I still want to make your ice dessert! Now that would be perfect for these pics!
what a clever idea – I’ll be sure to try
Thank you! I think you’ll like it!
Just lovely. You hit all the notes, from Buenos Aires to Paris.
Aw. Thank you. I definitely intended to do that!
Warwick is a winter wonderland! Gorgeous photographs and your madeleines looks delicious. I feel so intimidated to make madeleines, but your post makes me think I just might be able to do it. I think I would love rosemary in them!
Thank you. You really should. I was intimidated too, especially because when you research them they seem so delicate and volatile. They really are easy to make and delicious.
What a beautiful and touching story. I love the way you write. I had no idea where you were going with Aleph and then you told the story of the house, which was a home, and I felt my heart contract. The madeleines look wonderful, hump or no hump. And of course with all this chatter about hump, you may get some interesting Google traffic! ha ha.
As for snow, last year I pined for it this year I’m OVER it! But snow mobiling looks FUN!
Lol re traffic from the hump:) Thanks so much for your compliment. Coming crib a great writer like you it means a lot. I didn’t know where I was going either but that a house is a home is a universe to a kid and bears witness to all. Rosemary is my fav and winter sports, especially dangerous ones are a must in Warwick.
These look and sound amazing! Loving the lemon and rosemary- such an interesting and unique take on a classic Madeleine. I’ve got an abundance of fresh Tuscan rosemary in my garden, might try the recipe out. Looks fab! 🙂
Thanks, Jess! I’m so jealous that you’ve got fresh rosemary in the garden. Use it up. The recipe is fast and adding a hint of fresh rosemary really makes these so much better!
Loving anything citrus right now. Shame I would never find those madeleine tins.
Not a big fan of snow but those snow mobiles look like a lot of fun!
I hear you about the citrus. You can probably get find online. As for snow. . I’m done with it, but yes, winter sports mange it bearable.
Beautiful post, in many ways! Also, I love madeleines and yours look fabulous!
Thanks so much! Nice to see you here!
wowwww…they look so amazing, puffy and deliciousnesss sweet..i want alll 😀
Aww thanks for your comment. They’re pretty easy. You should give it a go!
Yum! These remind me of the rosemary shortbread cookies that I found at a great little store near my house. I was surprised at how well the savory rosemary and sweet shortbread went together. I bet your madeleines are just as wonderful!
Thanks so much, Mary Frances! So good to see you here! I think these things have a really short shelf life so I eat them all at once! But yes, the herbs really enhance the flavor.
These look amazing Amanda! Yum. Love herbs in baked goods… I’m really getting into thyme-infused syrups for cake at the moment! Those showy, icy shots are such a contrast to the sunny parched weather we’re getting here at the moment. You write brilliantly, I really enjoyed everything in this post. Thanks for sharing xx
Thanks so much, Laura. It’s always nice to hear from you. Thyme-infused syrups for cake… Now you’re speaking my language. I can’t wait to see how you do it. I’ve definitely entered the world of savory sweet, which is a departure from my strictly savory intentions… But it’s so fun. On Feb 26, 2014 7:39 PM, “What's Cooking” wrote:
>
Unusual combination. Brilliant, clearly.
🙂