Recipe: Cherry Madeleines (using maraschino cherries)

CHERRY MADELEINES

4 eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted, cooled
1/3 cup maraschino cherries, drained, blotted dry, finely chopped
Melted chocolate (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously coat 2 Madeleine Pans* (12 cups per pan) with cooking spray; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

Beat eggs and sugar in mixer bowl with whisk attachment on high speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes. Beat in almond extract and vanilla.

Fold in flour, 1/3 at a time. Fold in butter, 1/3 at a time. Fold in cherries. Spoon 2 Tbsp. batter into each Madeleine cup.

Bake in 375 degree F oven until cookies pull away from sides of cups and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 8 to 10 minutes. Loosen cookies with tip of knife if necessary. Remove from pans immediately; cool completely on wire racks.

Dip rounded end of each Madeleine into melted chocolate, if desired. Cool on waxed paper until chocolate is set.

*PAN ALTERNATE:
Mini muffin pans (1-3/4-inch diameter) can be substituted for Madeleine Pans. Use 1 1/2 Tbsp. batter for each mini muffin and increase baking time to 10 to 12 minutes. Because these cups hold less batter, you will need 3 pans. Or, plan to bake batter in 3 batches.

NOTES:
Madeleines, buttery French teacakes, have a delightful spongy texture. They are traditionally baked in pans with cups shaped like elongated scallop shells. The pans usually have 12 cups each. If you only have 1 pan, bake half the batter. Quickly clean the molds, let cool, then grease and flour again before baking remaining batter.

Makes 2 dozen cookies
Source: American Egg Board