Malted Madeleines
recipe source : Baked Elements, p. 123 – 125
Yield: 24 Madeleines

Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons malted milk powder, plus 1 teaspoon for dusting
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona), plus 1 teaspoon for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and nearly at room temperature but not cool

Assembly
Butter the madeleine pans, dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

Whisk together the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa powder, and baking powder.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and salt on high speed until frothy, about 3 minutes. Drizzle in the butter on low speed until just blended.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the dry ingredients over the top of the egg mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Cover the bowl with a dry cloth and set aside for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Give the batter a quick stir, then spoon the batter gently into the pans, filling the molds about three-quarters full. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time.

Remove the pans to wire racks to cool for 1 minute, then carefully unmold the madeleines onto the cooling rack. In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon of the cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of the malted milk powder until blended and sift over the madeleines. I think madeleines taste best if eaten within a few hours of baking, but they can be stored at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes
recipe source : Baked Explorations, p. 45

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter for the skillet

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil. Place the cornmeal in a large bowl. Stirring continuously, slowly pour the boiling water over the cornmeal. Keep stirring until the mixture has cooled to lukewarm, almost to room temperature. Add the brown sugar and stir until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until pale yellow. Add the buttermilk and whisk until blended. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, to the cornmeal in three parts (beginning and ending with the flour mixture), stirring after each addition until just combined. Stir in the melted butter.

Heat a skillet or griddle pan over medium-low heat.

Add 1 or 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet and make sure it coats the surface. Drop griddle cakes in ¼-cup batches into the skillet (they will spread – do not crowd the pan). Cook until the bottoms are medium-brown, about 3 minutes, and the tops are bubbly, then flip the griddle cakes over and cook the other side for about 2 minutes and serve immediately. Continue cooking and serving until all the batter is gone. Serve with generous amounts of sweet butter.

Excerpted from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2010 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Alfajores
Yield: 24 to 28 sandwich cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cornstarch
6 ounces (11⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, cool but not cold, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
2⁄3 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
3 large egg yolks, plus 1 large egg
2 tablespoons good-quality light rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 2 1⁄2 cups Dulce de Leche (page 58) or prepared dulce de leche
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift the cornstarch over the flour mixture and whisk again to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the zest, and beat for 15 seconds. Add the egg yolks and egg, one at a time, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl again, add the rum and vanilla, and beat for 10 seconds.

Add half of the flour mixture and beat for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mix- ture and beat until just incorporated. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and pat it into a disk; wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 1⁄2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap the dough and divide it into 2 equal portions. Place the first portion on a work surface lightly dusted with flour (or, for extra ease, roll it out on a flour-dusted piece of parchment) and return the other portion to the refrigerator.
Form the dough into a small disk and roll it to 1⁄8 inch thick (or just a bit thicker). Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to create your tops and bottoms, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space around each cookie. Continue the process with the second piece of dough. Extra dough scraps can be refrigerated for about 10 minutes to firm them up so they can be rerolled, if desired.

Refrigerate the cookie-filled sheet pans for 5 minutes before baking. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time. The cookies will be done when they just begin to color (they won’t “brown” necessarily). Place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely before filling them.

Using a pastry bag with a medium tip, or a small spoon, apply about 2 tablespoons of dulce de leche to the flat side of a cookie (and don’t feel shy about adding slightly more filling if you are in the mood—we often do). Place another cookie, flat side down, on top. Press slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until
all the sandwich cookies are made. Sift some confectioners’ sugar over each cookie, if desired, and let them set up for about 15 minutes before serving.

The cookies can be stored at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 3 days. Let it be known that some people think these cookies taste their best on day 2.

Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
recipe source: Baked Explorations

Yield: Approximately 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients
2 cups whole hazelnuts
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona)
Dash salt
3 to 4 Tablespoons hazelnut oil (or alternatively vegetable oil)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread the hazelnuts across the prepared pan in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 8 minutes. Toss the nuts, then toast them for another 5 – 6 minutes, until they are fragrant and have turned a dark brown, Let the nuts cool completely.

Remove the skins from the cooled nuts by placing them in a damp towel and rubbing them together. Discard the skins.

Place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor and process for 3 to 5 minutes, until they liquefy and become buttery. Scrape down the bowl and process for 30 seconds longer.

Add the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and 3 Tablespoons of the hazelnut oil, and process again for about 1 more minute , or until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. If it is too thick, add more hazelnut oil, a teaspoon at a time, until the right consistency is achieved.

Use the spread immediately or store it in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container, for up to 2 weeks. Initially, the spread will be wet and thin (perfect for dipping). However, it will thicken considerably in the refrigerator ans have a consistency akin to chilled peanut butter. For spreading purposes, remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before using, it will be more pliable ans spreadable.

Excerpted from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2010 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.