Dear Constant Reader,
When I wrote about our recent tea party, I mentioned that I had always wanted to try baking madeleines, but had never bought the pans. For those unfamiliar, madeleines are delicate little cakes shaped like sea shells, for which one needs a special pan. A well-made madeleine is tender, lightly browned around the edges, with a distinctive bump on the back.
I was certainly surprised when a package arrived on The Manor’s doorstep containing a pair of madeleine pans!
Although there was no note, I soon figured out that they had come from my doting mother (she’s the only person who uses my middle initial when addressing mail). Still, I enjoyed the mystery for a few moments.
As I was visiting her in a very short time, I decided the correct thing to do would be to bring her the fruits of my baking. After looking at a number of recipes, I went with the one in NYTimes Cooking, with gluten-free flour and a few flavoring modifications (lemon zest instead of orange, some vanilla, and a tiny splash of almond extract).
I over-filled the pans, so I didn’t get perfect shells,
but look at those lovely bumps!
They were so delicious! And really not hard to make, if you work with some precision, as is so often the case with baking.
I will definitely be baking these again. And I found some savory madeleine recipes as well that sound wonderful. I guess I shall host a tea party soon.
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Oh, The Glamourous Life! 
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