Chocolate Dipped Hojicha Madeleines
+ a giveaway and a look at what I'm cooking and baking this week!
Hello hello!
I’ve been in the process of spring cleaning the last few weeks, going through closets, the garden, and the kitchen taking inventory of what I have and seeing what I can consolidate and discard (anyone else a jar hoarder?). In terms of my kitchen, I normally keep my gear pretty lean, there aren’t a ton of single use items or “gadgets”. But then I came across a bubble waffle iron and my madeleine pan that I haven’t used in 4 years, not since developing these genmaicha ones (they are very good btw). I decided to use them for a week and then let the idea of either keeping them tucked in my cabinet or tossing them marinate for a while.
I found myself out of practice with the bubble waffle iron and was reminded how finicky getting the heat right on them can be. Despite how delicious the waffles (the recipe for them is in Mooncakes and Milk Bread) I’m not sure the mess and effort it takes to make waffles with this particular iron is aligned with my lifestyle anymore. The madeleine pan on the other hand reminded me how much I enjoy making and eating madeleines! They always feel like tiny pound cakes to me. I might try adapting the Lemon Miso Pound Cake from last week into madeleine form!
A good madeleine should be have a hump, a slight crisp, and a tender chew. I incorporated Hojicha powder into batter to give the madeleines a deliciously malty and roasted tea flavor. If you haven’t had hojicha before, imagine it as the edgier older sister to matcha. Chilling the batter before filling the pan will make sure the butter is nice and cold, which will help give you that distinctive hump. I swapped out some of the all-purpose flour with mochiko (sweet rice flour) to give them more of a chewier texture. I am forever dreaming of the masa and mochiko madeleines from Xiao Ye in Portland. I would eat a thousand of them. If you don’t have mochiko or glutinous rice flour you can swap with cornstarch or more all-purpose flour.
While they are delightful naked out of the pan, I was inspired to add a chocolate coating because it molds so well to the grooves of madeleine pan and the result is incredibly satisfying and beautiful. For my first round of testing I pressed the baked madeleines into melted bittersweet chocolate. For round two I added a few swoops and brushes of white chocolate too for a marbled effect! I love how much they remind me of chocolate seashells, an oddly nostalgic candy I haven’t thought of in years. You can take the chocolate decoration in whatever decoration you like, enjoy them naked, or with a dusting of powdered sugar and hojicha. They make a wonderful little sweet treat either way!
A Giveaway with East Fork and Earlywood!
So so excited to share this giveaway with you! My amazing publisher, Artisan Books, is partnering with East Fork and Earlywood to give a lucky person a copy Chinese Enough and some beautiful products I use in my kitchen everyday!
The winner will receive:
A copy of Chinese Enough by Kristina Cho, from Artisan Books
The Newlywood Set by Earlywood
Serving Platter in Prune by East Fork
Crosshatch Linen Napkins by East Fork
What I’m Making This Week
Here’s a look ahead at what I’m planning on cooking and baking this week! You might find a few of these recipes in your inbox soon!
Black Bean and Garlic Salmon Rice Bowls | made this for dinner last night and it was so nostalgic. My mom made crispy skin salmon with black bean and garlic sauce a lot growing up. I called her while I was deboning and scaling my fish to ask for a reminder and she herself hasn’t made it in years. Time to bring back this classic I think.
Sunny-side Up Egg Curry | this is dinner tonight! I made a single serving version of this a few weeks ago with some leftover yellow curry I made and I love how the eggs soak up the flavors and looks so sunny! Like a bright shakshuka.
Almond Lychee Cake | testing this idea this afternoon. In theory I feel like the flavors would be so lovely together but I’m curious how the lychee puree will change the texture of the cake. Fingers-crossed for round 1 of testing!
Banana Milk Bread | SO SO excited for this loaf. I’ve been on a weird banana and peanut butter toast kick lately and the idea of having it on a thick slice of slightly cinnamon-y banana enriched milk bread sounds incredible.
Gai Lan and Chinese Sausage Pizza | I’m putting the final details of a pizza night newsletter for you! The dough is in the fridge fermenting as we speak/type. I’m also going to make a baby kale caesar salad with some leftover black bean and garlic salmon as a side!
Welcome Home Steak with Asparagus and Japanese Sweet Potato | the steak recipe is in Chinese Enough! It’s my favorite for nights when you just want meat and potatoes for dinner.
Have a delicious week!
Chocolate Dipped Hojicha Madeleines
makes 16
127g (9 tbsp) unsalted butter, more for the pan
80g (scant 2/3 cup) all-purpose flour, more for the pan
30g (1/4 cup) mochiko or glutinous rice flour
10g (2 tbsp) hojicha powder
3g (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
Pinch of salt
120g (2 large) eggs
100g (1/2 cup) sugar
113g (4 oz) dark chocolate
56g (2 oz) white chocolate
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, mochiko, hojicha powder, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Whisk with electric beaters or by hand until very light and foamy, about 3 minutes with electric beaters or 5 to 6 minutes by hand. Continue mixing while pouring in the cooled melted butter, continue to whisk for another minute to fully incorporate. Sift in the dry ingredients and beat until mostly incorporated. Use a flexible spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and fully mix the batter until thick and smooth. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Lightly brush the madeleine pan with some melted butter and lightly dust with flour using a fine mesh sieve.
Transfer the batter into a piping bag and snip the end. Fill each mold about 90% full of batter or scoop the batter into the mold with the help of two spoons. Place in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 350F degrees and continue to bake until the madeleines are domed and set in the center, about 10 minutes. Allow the madeleines to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Clean the madeleine pan and prepare your chocolate. Place the dark and white chocolate into separate heat proof bowls. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or low powder in the microwave until smooth. Brush some white chocolate into each mold and then scoop about 2 to 3 teaspoons of dark chocolate into each mold. Press the madeleine groove-side down into the chocolate. You should be able to see the chocolate slightly press out of the sides, if not you need to add a little more chocolate. Place the pan into the freezer or fridge until the chocolate sets, 10 to 20 minutes. The madeleines should easily snap out of the mold once set.
Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
A Gai lan and lop Chung pizza might ruin me for all other pizzas.
You had me at hojicha!