The Australian Women's Weekly, The Baking Collection, RRP $49.95, available where all good books are sold and online at awwcookbooks.com.au!
Glazed rosewater madeleines
Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks have occupied a large amount of space on the bookshelf for as long as I can remember. My attention span probably isn't long enough to count Mum's collection of AWW cookbooks, but I know that there is one for just about everything you could crave! My favourite of the collection is probably the Chinese cuisine cookbook, mainly because the pages are tattered and the staples have loosened, so I know that those pages have provided us with classic recipes, delicious meals and wonderful memories. AWW Cookbooks have the power to provide such memories; like the Children's Birthday Cake Book from which my Dad recreated the train cake for my brother's birthday. Complete with carriages, it was nothing short of a masterpiece! I was reminded of these memories (and many more) when Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks contacted me, asking if I would like share some of their books with you. How could I say no?!
The AWW Baking Collection has just been released to celebrate 80 years of The Australian Women's Weekly. (And yes, just in time for Mother's Day, *hint hint*) It is full of evocative, homely recipes that have been triple tested to ensure success for home cooks of all generations. This cookbook is a fine collection of classic baking; the recipes will instil in you the joy of baking that perfect lemon meringue pie, a sweet, simple marble cake or a wonderful cloud-like batch of dinner rolls. The recipes are Aussie family favourites that are just perfect to be shared between loved ones... just like these pretty little madeleines.
What you'll need:
100g butter, melted
2 eggs
1/3 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons rosewater
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2/3 cup plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon butter, melted - for brushing
Glaze:
1 cup pure icing sugar
1 teaspoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pink food colouring
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 180˚C and brush madeleine pans using the 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, vanilla and sugar using an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until thick and creamy.
Sift together the baking powder and flour. Fold the flour and butter into the egg mixture. Drop a heaped tablespoon of the mixture into prepared pan holes, and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown and springy to touch.
Allow cooked madeleines to stand in the pan for 2 minutes, before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
While the madeleines are cooling, make the glacé icing. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the melted butter and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and mix together until smooth. If needed, gradually add a teaspoon or two of water and mix until smooth.
Cover the wire cooling rack with grease-proof paper. Dip one end of each madeleine into the icing and place on the paper to set. Enjoy!
