Tis the Night Before Christmas

I know it's been a very long time since I've posted something, but it's been a very long stressful few months. However, for the Christmas holiday I planned on baking goodies as gifts. Two years ago, I gave Christmas baskets with various baked small cakes and a Haitian Cremas - all home-made. That gift-giving was so successful that I decided to give it another try this year. To make a long story short, I ordered a few things online for my Christmas goodie surprise, however, thanks to UPS being short-staffed and behind I won't get my ingredients till after Christmas. Which reminds me, thank you UPS for making my Christmas home baked goods gift a memorable experience.

Despite the set back, I am determined to bake for my beloved boyfriend (and family). On the Christmas list, mini madeleines with a lemon glaze. This will be my first attempt at this and am planing on improvising here and there. Hopefully, it comes out decent to please the bf's family.

After an hour of researching, I've come up with a game plan...rum.

Lemon-Glazed Rum Mini Madeleines

1 stick or 1/4 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or (my fav) 1 vanilla bean split

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Glaze

1/2 tablespoon Rum (I always use Haitian Rum, Barbancourt)

3 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cup Confectioners' / powdered sugar

Butter and flour the madeleine pans then set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until the batter becomes light yellow and fluffy. NOTE: I added rum in the early stages, which caused the bater to turn green. Yup, green. As a result, I omitted that from the recipe.

Add the 1 stick or 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Normally, the madeleine recipes call for the dry ingredients to be sifted...I didn't do that. Mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. NOTE: If you want to add rum to the batter this would be the point to do so.

With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell halfway. Bake for 10, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool.

To make Glaze:

Whisk powdered sugar, rum and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. When madeleines are cool dip in the glaze then let dry.

Merry Christmas!