You all know of my baking addiction.  It seems I find every excuse and opportunity to bake something for someone.  Unfortunately I don’t always have time to get to the store and buy ingredients, so I am limited to whatever I have on hand.  That was the case with these coconut madeleines, and I’m very glad this is what my pantry happened to produce.  I have loved making madeleines ever since the first time I tried them.  This recipe was a bit less particular than the previous versions I have tried and I was worried they wouldn’t puff up correctly.  I should know better than to second guess Ina though, they turned out perfectly.  This is the only madeleine recipe I have ever made that doesn’t call for a glaze.  I thought they were delicious even without the glaze.  However, if you really feel the need to glaze them, I think they would be great that way too.  Mixing a little bit of coconut rum with powdered sugar would do the job nicely.

Coconut Madeleines
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Yield: 18-24 madeleines
Ingredients:
1½ tbsp. melted butter, for greasing the pan(s)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ tsp. coconut extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
Thoroughly grease a madeleine pan with the melted butter.  Coat with flour and tap off the excess.  Chill the pan in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and coconut extracts on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy.  Add the melted butter and mix to combine.  In a small mixing bowl sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.  Gently fold into the batter with a rubber spatula.  Stir in the shredded coconut.

Plop enough batter in the center of each indentation to fill it about ¾ full (approximately 2 tbsp. for a regular madeleine mold and approximately 1 ½ – 2 tsp. for a mini-madeleine mold).  Do not spread the batter.

Bake for 10-12 minutes (5-6 minutes for mini madeleines), until they spring back when pressed lightly.  Tap the madeleines out onto a wire cooling rack.  Allow to cool.  Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Source: adapted from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten