Baking Through the Alphabet: U is for Ube Madeleines

And here we are. 2017.

I don’t know about you, but 2016 felt like a complete blur to me. It’s been a tough year, but I made it. All the trials- I got through them.

…or did I? This is only the beginning of adulthood. Brace yourself, Grace.

I have two options for this post. I can either tell you all again how 2016 was, or I can tell you how excited I am for 2017.

I’m going with the latter, because, let’s face it–2016 was hard.

SO, in 2017, I’ll be…

• getting a new job (because my current work contract ends in June)
• moving again, so be prepared to see a new kitchen and also a lack of posts depending on accessibility and size of kitchen
• traveling to Seattle with some friends in March (drink all the coffee, eat all the ice cream, see all the things, and please send any recs my way!)
• going to my first Coachella (weekend two, anyone?!), which I am absolutely ecstatic about
• hopefully getting more plugged into my church, which I’ve been checking out since October and really have been enjoying
• learning, growing, traveling, adventuring, meeting new people, struggling, failing, yada yada

But in 2017, I’ll be…Grace. A play on words, because that’ll never get old. I’ll still be me, a 23-year old SoCal native struggling to adult in the Bay. Until August, then I’ll be a 24-year old SoCal native struggling to adult in the Bay.

Regardless, I’ll still be me- struggling, striving, and surviving…but only able to do so by God’s grace. No matter how many resolutions I make (if you’re curious, some of them include being more joyful and patient, exercising more, being more loving to others around me, and being more down to try new things), I am still saved by grace. That comes with the gospel and my salvation, the only constant thing that stays no matter the transition.

2017, it’s nice to meet ya.

Ube madeleines. I’m going to be completely honest. I made these so long ago that I couldn’t remember which recipe and what adjustments I made. I’m pretty sure I got it right, but if not, please let me know if something doesn’t turn out right.

Most ube baked goods boast a deep, purple color that comes from food coloring, and a strong ube flavor that comes from ube extract. Food coloring in this case is a no-go for me because I’d rather let the natural food colors show through. I couldn’t find pure ube extract; the closest thing I found was an imitation extract at a local Asian grocery store, so I decided against that as well. So I figured I’d use some sort of ube puree and hope for the best.

I tried looking for ube puree (a part of me thought it’d sell like pumpkin puree), but I could only find frozen grated ube. I figured I’d make my own “puree” by steaming it (really, just microwaving it for 15 seconds or so) and add it to the madeleine batter. I made two batches, one with 1/4 cup puree, and another with 1/2 cup puree. Both worked out well; the batch with more puree was more purple and had a stronger ube flavor, but it came out to be more dense.

So, my advice is this: use at least 1/4 cup puree per batch, but no more than 1/2 cup, because the madeleine starts getting more dense and more muffin-like. If you do get your hands on ube extract, feel free to add a teaspoon into the batter for a stronger ube flavor. If food coloring doesn’t phase you, feel free to add that as well, but keep in mind that if you use a water-based food coloring, it may also alter the texture of the madeleine.

The madeleines turned out beautifully – I loved the purple chunks and the light purple color. They’re a little more dense than your normal madeleine, but were still soft and buttery with a light ube flavor. These dainty little cookies are so cute, delicious, and perfect with a cup of tea!

Ube Madeleines
Makes 20 cookies
Adapted from Peas and Peonies

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
1/4 to 1/2 cup ube puree (frozen grated purple yam, cooked and cooled)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter and flour madeleine pans, and set aside.
2. For the ube puree: Measure out 1/4 to 1/2 cup of frozen grated purple yam, and place in a small bowl. Heat the frozen yam for about 15 seconds, and stir to release the steam and to blend the chunks together. Let cool.
3. Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until blended. Beat in the ube puree. Add flour, and mix until blended. Gradually add the cooled melted butter, and beat until just blended. Don’t overmix.
4. Two options here: either spoon a tablespoon of batter into each indentation in the pan, or spoon the batter into a piping bag and pipe the batter into the indentations.
5. Bake until puffed and brown, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan. If you are repeating the process, continue to butter and flour the pan before each batch. Enjoy!

Until next time,

Soli deo Gloria, and happy reading, eating, & baking!