What Did You Have For Dessert? - Page 5

Quote:

Originally Posted by French Fries 

They are normally presented the same way they're baked - just like an American muffin. In fact the madeleine should have formed a ball on top, making it nearly impossible to balance them upside down - just like an American muffin. 

 

I disagree with you.  Do a google search for madeleine recipes and hit images. 90% of them are presented fluted side up. 

David Lebovitz's recipe, the recipe I followed in the French Recipe book, Ina Garten, Joy of Baking, Martha Stewart's site and more all have them fluted side up.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/12/humpy-madeleine/

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColleenS 

I disagree with you.  Do a google search for madeleine recipes and hit images. 90% of them are presented fluted side up. 

 

David Lebovitz's recipe, the recipe I followed in the French Recipe book, Ina Garten, Joy of Baking, Martha Stewart's site and more all have them fluted side up.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/12/humpy-madeleine/

You're certainly free to plate them however you want! I was telling you how I saw madeleines presented in France. But you're right, using an American search engine, or your American sources, it seems that most Americans present madeleines upside down (oops sorry: fluted side up) - so you're not the only one! 

Try a search on http://www.google.fr and/or on a French website and you'd see something different. 

Anyway like I said, certainly not a big deal, and your madeleines are beautiful. I was just reacting the same way you might have if I'd posted a picture of a beautiful homemade muffin upside down on a plate. 

PS: I'll be in France in a few weeks, and as you may imagine I'll spend quite a bit of time in boulangeries-patisseries, if you'd like I could take a few pictures showing how various boulangeries-patisseries present their madeleines. I'd be happy to do that and post the pictures in this thread. If you don't care, that's fine too!

Colleen,

Your madeleines came out terrific, in fact they could not look any better. Many cooks/chefs in North America enjoy the aesthetics of the indented lines facing up.

As a child with a French grandmother , she made them alot. They were always served to us looking like little boats (to a childs eye).

You followed a recipe, they came out superb.

Fresh fruit.

 Mango and sweet pineapple with brandied blueberries and....

 a sprinkle of mint sugar.

French fries, I understand.  I spent quite a lot of time in Paris and also briefly in Strasbourg, Belgium, Montreal and Quebec City, Even had a French exchange student live with my family when I was a child.   As this was my first attempt at Madeleines, I was very happy at how they turned out.  It seems Americans prefer to serve them shell side up and the French serve them as one would serve a financier.  

You say tomato, I say tomahto, let's call the whole thing off. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColleenS 

As this was my first attempt at Madeleines, I was very happy at how they turned out.  

You have a lot to be proud about. I wish I could have tasted one...!!

Yup, that seems to be the correct conclusion.... I learned something here!

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColleenS 

You say tomato, I say tomahto, let's call the whole thing off. 

Hahaha... that reminds me of the first time I came to the U.S. I was in Boston in February and the cold was crazy. I decided to prepare a raclette. What a crazy idea. I didn't realize how difficult the endeavor would be. Well I kinda knew I probably wouldn't find the best raclette cheese I wanted... but I thought at least potatoes should be easy to find. 

First, I didn't really understand in what kind of store I was supposed to go? This one here says "pharmacy"... but ... they sell food, alcohol, toys....??? (in France pharmacies only sell medication). So I stop an employee and ask him with my best American accent "Excuse me, where can I find potatoes please?" - he looks at me like I just landed from Mars: "Huh? What? Toys?" - Me: "No not toys, potatoes?" - Him: Toys? They're on aisle 7. ARGGGGGHHHHHH!!! 

Turns out I was placing the tonic accent wrong. Where I should have said poTAtoes, I was doing what we do in France which is raise my pitch at the end of the sentence, so it sounded like potaTOES. 

We ended up buying pizza that night. 

@ French Fries

Oh I love raclette. Cheese, potatoes, what's not to love?

That is so frustrating when others cannot understand what you're trying to say. That happened to me in France, when I was in a patisserie asking for a napkin, and suddenly used my Greek accent instead of French accent (I am trying to become fluent in Greek, and I speak enough French to get around traveling). The shop owner looked at me disapprovingly and said over and over in French that she didn't understand me. Finally another customer in line came to my rescue. 

: )

Too funny that you ended up eating pizza after all that!