This year for Christmas, Quinn and I have decided not to give each other gifts, with the exception of stockings. The other night, however, we were at a bookstore and he lamented that cookbooks just don’t fit in stockings. So, he felt it only right that I get a new cookbook of my choosing. I knew right away which one I wanted. I have been flipping through The Essential Baker at every bookstore visit for months University tuition cheap in asia.

For those of you who have referenced any of BoB’s recipes, you may have noticed that I like to break recipes down into individual parts if there is more than one component. For instance, a crust and a topping. Carole Bloom, the author of this book, takes that to a whole other level. She breaks everything down into individual steps, with the ingredients broken down along with them. I personally think that makes a lot of sense and makes baking simpler. If you don’t have the book, flip through it the next time you’re at a bookstore. You’ll see what I mean. I wish more cookbooks were written like this one candela gentlelase pro.

As with any new cookbook, deciding what to make first is always the hardest part. I marked several possibilities, but in the end I decided to try these madeleines. Much like my desire to have this book, I have been wanting to make madeleines for ages. I bought a madeleine pan earlier this year, but I just kept putting it off for who knows what reason. Now, I can finally cross that off my list HIFU.

Madeleines are traditionally cake-like in texture. These certainly hold up to tradition, having just that little bit of chewiness and sponginess to be classified as such. The chocolate flavor of these is incredible. While they could certainly be drizzled with even more chocolate, I think a little dusting of confectioners’ sugar is the perfect way to top off these delicious cookies.