Green Pistachio Madeleines ... you will be nuts about them !!!

When I was a kid, I just loved these French Madeleines you can find in all the supermarkets, with a chemical taste of Almond extract (do not blame me, I said I was a kid !!!).

Twenty years later, I'm still in love with Madeleines and also with all types of Nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, macadamias ...) but only with natural ingredients ;-)

The French Madeleine is a cute Butter Cake (baked in a specific mold) and it looks like a shell with a bump on the top. Ohhh yeeessss, you really need THE BUMPS to call your cake "a Madeleine" (especially if you are French conservative-minded ... like I am ;-))))

The original recipe is made with Lemon zest or Orange Blossom Water, but of course, you can go behind the rules, and use other flavors.
Because I am not that conservative-minded, and because Patrick's Day is around the corner and I decided to green up my Madeleine, with Pistachios.
What a great idea !!! I think I even prefer this recipe to the original one (you know, I am nuts about nuts !!)

BUT, one thing that I needed to get with my Pistachio Madeleine is : THE BUMP !!
And I got it !!! (check out the recipe below to understand how to get THE BUMP ;-))))

You can enjoy your Madeleine(s) for the "petit dejeuner" (breakfast) or for the "gouter" (afternoon snack) or just right out of the oven when they are still warm .... yum yum !!!!
Et voila !

A Bientot & bon Appetit
Emilie your French Chef
www.EmilieFrenchChef.com


La Recette de Madeleines aux Pistaches (Pistachios Madeleines)

Ingredients for 20 Madeleines :

- 4 large eggs
- 140gr of granulated Sugar (5oz)
- 1 stick + 1 tbspoon of Butter (salted or unsalted)
- 1 tbspoon of  Pistachio Nut Paste (Whole Food)
- 1 package of dry Yeast
- 1 tbspoon of Baking Powder
- 100gr of Flour (3.5oz)
- 30gr of Almond Meal/Powder (1oz)
- 1 teaspoon of pure Pistachios or Almond Extract

I recommend a non stick silicone Madeleine mold. But if you only have a regular steel mold, generously butter your pan.

With an electric stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until you get a light yellow color (around 3mn). Beat in Pistachio Paste.
Add flour, Almond Meal, yeast, baking powder and Extract.
Beat until well blended.

In the microwave, melt the butter 20-30sec, until it is really soft (not too hot).
Gradually add soft Butter in the mixture and beat on high until everything is blended.

For the BUMPS : cool your mixture for 30-40mn in the fridge ! It is because you will put a very cold batter in a very hot oven that you will get the bumps !!
After 30-40mn, preheat oven at 400°F.

When the oven is preheated, put 1 tablespoon batter into each indentation in pan (dont fill up more than 3/4 of each indentation).

Bake about 10-15mn (depending on the size of your molds) until you Madeleines are puffed and brown, about 16 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Gently remove from pan.