Cheese Madeleines with Chives
Bastille Day is a French national holiday which is celebrated on July 14th every year, similar to the July 4th celebration in the United States. It is the commemoration of the storming of the Paris Bastille in 1789, a citizens’ victory at the outset of the French Revolution.
I’m a Francophile, and readily admit it. I’ve been hopelessly trying to learn to speak French for more years than I care to tell you but I haven’t given up yet. Cooking French food is much easier than trying learn to speak French. And so in honor of Bastille Day, here are some recipes you might want to try.
First is an appetizer recipe for some cheesy little bites. The batter is baked in special French Madeleine pans but you can also bake them in mini muffin cups. Madeleine pans usually have 12 molds—much like a cupcake or muffin pan.
For an impressive summer main dish recipe, try Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper Rub. It's my rendition of the classic French Steak au Poivre.
And for dessert, my favorite cookies are French Macaroons with Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache. The French spelling for these cookies is macarons. Don't confuse French macarons made with ground almonds, egg whites and sugar combined to make a meringue-like texture with the chewy American macaroons made with coconut.
Back to the the Madelines—I garnish them with a little sour cream and chopped, fresh chives. I made these for some of my fellow French students when they came to our cabain for a weekend.
Cheese Madeleines with Chives
Madeleines are traditionally small buttery sponge cakes made in special Madeleine pans with 12 indentations that look like tiny scallop shells. In this savory version, the small cheesy cakes are served as appetizers.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 25 minutes
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
¼ cup sour cream
Heat oven to 375° F. Brush one tablespoon of the melted butter in 2 Madeleine pans (12 molds each); place in freezer until ready to use.
In medium bowl, combine flour, 2 tablespoons of the chives, herbes de Provence, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In large bowl, beat buttermilk and eggs with whisk until foamy. Fold flour mixture into egg mixture.
Add remaining ¼ cup melted butter and cheese into mixture; gently fold in until well combined.
Fill molds 2/3 full with batter. Bake 9 to 11 minutes until light golden brown and firm. Immediately unmold onto wire rack. Serve warm.
To garnish, spoon sour cream into piping bag with small star tip. Pipe small star on rounded side of each Madeleine; place on serving plate. When all Madeleines have been topped with sour cream, sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons chives over the tops.
24 appetizers
Tips: Don’t have Madeleines pans? You can bake these yummy, cheesy bites in mini muffin cups.
Madeleines can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, cool to room temperature and place in air-tight container. To reheat, thaw in refrigerator. Place on cookie sheet; cover lightly with foil. Bake at 375°F for 4 to 5 minutes or until centers are warm.
Herbes de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs commonly used in southern France. The mixture commonly contains: basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory and thyme.
Italian seasoning can be substituted for the herbes de Provence.
Since Madeleine pans vary in size the yields will vary from 20 to 24 appetizers.