Pepper Jack & Cornmeal Madeleines

Yesterday I went out to run a quick errand and, I kid you not, my eyelids were sweating. It already feels like it’s a billion degrees out, and yet, I still can’t stop myself from turning on the oven and baking from time to time. {That’s why God created air conditioning.}

When inspiration strikes, you’ve got to deal with a little sweat.

A few days after I mentioned that I received 11 pounds of blueberries at my front door, I received another fabulous surprise: Thirteen blocks of cheese from my friends at Cabot. It was like the heavens shone down upon my doorstep with cheesy goodness, and I knew that I must make something worthy of this gift. But what?

Fast forward to that Friday evening — I had been invited to dine at Jardin Restaurant in West Palm Beach and took my {lucky} husband along for the ride. We both loved our meals and all the yummy extras {and the cocktails… ohhh, the cocktails!}, but when I left there was one thing I just couldn’t get out of my head: their savory Cilantro Jalapeno Madeleines.

We ate everything.

Madeleines, shell-shaped, soft and cakey French cookies of sorts, are typically sweet and can come in a variety of flavors. At Jardin, they serve them warm in place of a bread basket with a side of cayenne butter. Had I not been on my best behavior I would have eaten the whole bowl and asked for more.

Warm Cilantro Jalapeno Madeleines. Mmmm.

I’m sad to report that my first attempt using a recipe I found online was a major failure. They turned out gummy, too oily, and just plain unappetizing. {Granted, I forgot to add the butter until after I had already scooped the batter into the molds and had to pour it all back into the bowl so I could add it after the fact. That could have had something to do with it.} I wondered if perhaps Madeleines with freshly grated semi-soft cheese were not possible.

Then I remembered I own Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Baking Chez Moi, so I did a little reading and recipe research to see if Dorie could help me out of my dilemma. {Because if anyone knows their way around a Madeleine, it’s Dorie.} As it turns out, Dorie likes to get a little complicated with her Madeleines, cooling her batter for a few hours in the fridge and then again after scooping it into the Madeleine molds before finally baking it off atop a baking sheet that was left to heat in the oven. I know she’s a baking genius and everything, but that’s just too many steps for me, so I skipped ALL OF IT and did it my own way.

Guess what? It worked!

Fluffy, savory Madeleines with the faint essence of spicy Cabot Pepper Jack cheese. To me, Madeleines are buttery enough on their own, but you can certainly serve them with some butter like they did at Jardin and I wouldn’t judge you. If you really want to add some extra “kapow!” to your Madeleines, I bet some finely diced jalapeno peppers would be a good addition.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go blast the A/C because I have about 600 other flavor combinations I want to try!

Pepper Jack Cornmeal Madeleines

Fluffy, savory Madeleines with the faint essence of spicy Cabot Pepper Jack cheese. To me, Madeleines are buttery enough on their own, but you can certainly serve them with some butter like they did at Jardin and I wouldn’t judge you.

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Course Appetizer

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 14 Madeleines

Author Dianna Muscari

Ingredients  

• ⅔ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup finely grated Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 stick {8 tablespoons} unsalted butter melted
• 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly mist a Madeleine mold or mini muffin tin with non-stick spray. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cheese until combined.
• In a separate bowl {or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment}, beat eggs until pale and slightly frothy.
• Add about half the dry mixture to the eggs, and fold it in gently with a silicone spatula until it just disappears. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients just until everything is moistened. The batter will be thick.{Don't overmix.}
• Pour in the melted butter and fold it into the batter gently. Once it is fully incorporated, add the milk and fold it in as well. The batter will look kind of ugly and curdled -- it's supposed to look that way.
• Scoop batter into the prepared Madeleine mold, filling each cavity to just under the top. {They will puff up as they bake so don't overfill.}
• Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes or until the tops are golden and the edges are slightly browned.

Dianna's Tips

These are best served warm and/or on the same day they are made.

You can buy a Madeleine mold at most specialty stores or places like HomeGoods for a few dollars, but if you don't have one, you can also bake the batter in mini-muffin tins. They won't have the signature Madeleine look, but they'll still be good to eat!