After reading The Madeleine Project last weekend (twice), I knew I would also be trying a recipe. Today, I baked Madeleine’s ‘biscuit maison’, and what a lovely recipe it was!
VINTAGE COOKING
Earlier this week, I reviewed one of the most fascinating books I’ve read recently. The Madeleine Project touched my heart in so many ways, but being a food lover (and especially one who is utterly charmed by vintage cooking), I was very excited to see that the book contained old recipes as well. I wanted to follow the original recipe exactly as it was written by Madeleine in her beautiful handwriting, so I didn’t really use the translation, but you can find it here along with the other recipes.
MEMORIES
I made the batter in a matter of minutes (and using a single bowl), tucked the cake into the oven, and set off to walk my dog Pastis. When I returned home from the cool autumn air, I was greeted by the most deliciously sweet smells and knew instantly that this cake was going to be fabulous. And it was! With its light, tender crumb and delicate lemony aroma, it really reminded me of the cake my own grandmother always had in the house. Every time I visited, she would cut me a generous slice and serve it with a glass of cold milk. Madeleine’s cake was delicious, but the best part was that it brought back so many happy memories.
Below is the recipe as I have translated it from the original (top part), with my own additions for clarity. There were no temperatures or baking times given (with the exception of the second variation, which states 45 minutes), but my estimates resulted in a lovely cake! Enjoy!
Biscuit Maison
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup single cream
1 ½ cups caster sugar
2 whole eggs
2 cups flour
A pinch of salt
⅔ packet of baking powder
Zest of an orange or lemon (I used lemon)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180℃ and line a 26 x 11 cm cake tin with baking paper. In a medium bowl, whisk all of the ingredients until you have a smooth batter. Pour into the mold and bake for 50-55 minutes. Check for doneness with a skewer. Allow to cool briefly in the mold on a wire rack and serve.
