Was the famous writer Marcel Proust a good pastry chef? In fact, the expression "La madeleine de Proust" refers to his novel "A la recherche du Temps Perdu" ("In Search of Lost Time") in which the character, by simply dipping in a cup of tea and putting the little cake in his mouth, plunges back into childhood.
We have all experienced it: smells, music, small gestures or even a color suddenly bring back distant memories from the depths of our memory.
In "Du côté de chez Swann" (From Swann's place) the first volume of the great novelistic suite created by the writer, this phenomenon triggering an impression of reminiscence occurs when the hero's mother, to warm him up, makes him drink tea and eat a madeleine.
After a reorganization of his memories, he will then remember the time when his aunt Léonie made him taste a piece of this delicacy soaked in his infusion.
She sent for one of those short, plump cakes called Petites Madeleines that seem to have been molded from the grooved valve of a scallop shell.
The traditional little cake from Lorraine takes its name from the cook of King Stanislas of Poland. In 1755 in the castle of Commercy, he asked her to invent a new dessert for his guests (among whom were Voltaire and Madame de Châtelet). The king liked this egg speciality so much that he sent some to his daughter Marie. Also charmed, she decided to give it the name of its creator, Madeleine.
After Poland, the cake was brought to Spain by the French during the pilgrimages to Saint Jacques de Compostelle. With a round or elongated shape, this sweet is particularly appreciated at snack time where, dipped for example in a bowl of hot chocolate, it makes the happiness of children and adults.
To take over from Madeleine, here is the recipe for her tasty creation.
Valérie from Comme des Francais
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Did this article whet your appetite? Discover these other gourmet specialties:
- The pastry wonder of the Basque country
- A refined little confectionery from the south
- An emblematic pastry from Bordeaux