Madeleines and an introduction

Hi!

When I was in middle school, I had a French teacher named Madame Joseph. She had a reputation for being…fierce, is the word I’ll use. Her classroom was full of intensity, rules, and connaissance generale. Whenever we finished homework or a test, we’d have to fold it in half lengthwise and binder clip it together. She must have had thousands of binder clips.

One day, she told us to go home and make madeleines for class. She was infuriated that none of us knew what madeleines were and genuinely gobsmacked that our families didn’t have the classic pan you need to make them.

Later in life, when I actually tried the delicate, spongy, shell-shaped cakes, I understood why she was so disappointed. That’s why I put a madeleine pan on our wedding registry, and yesterday, I put it to good use.

There are scores of madeleine recipes online, but I played favorites and picked a recipe by my friend Kristina Razon. She has a knack for French desserts and pastry. And she’s a lovely person. She actually…