Buckwheat Madeleines | My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz

Big and mini madeleines

When it comes to buckwheat anything, I’ll make it first; ask questions later. Although the name may imply, buckwheat is not a form of wheat. It is a seed in the rhubarb and sorrel family. However, it is eaten like a grain and rich in fiber and antioxidants. It is fair to call it a whole grain and a gluten-free one at that. For that reason, I’ve made buckwheat sourdough bread, buckwheat waffle, buckwheat polenta and buckwheat crepe. By all accounts, buckwheat madeleines are among the most decadent of the bunch. It is all because of the butter. Butter makes everything better, particularly butter browned to the color of weak black tea or “beurre noisette.” It’s intense.

I took “beurre noisette” to the level I have not gone before, cooking down the butter beyond the state when the water is removed. I read with immense interest what David Lebovitz writes about Madeleines: Method and Madness in “The Paris Kitchen.” It is very well-written, informative and a must-read. David urges us to keep going to the point beyond a bit of smoking.

I followed his recommendation in the recipe to cook down the butter. The remaining butterfat took on a rich caramel flavor and aroma. Perhaps, the buckwheat madeleines recipe is a safe one to take it all the way to the noisette, or hazelnut. Beginning with ingredients like buckwheat flour and roasted cocoa nibs, these madeleines will look very dark. You can really cook the butter to almost burned, with abandon.

Cacao nibs and buckwheat grains

Talking about the cocoa nibs. I bought some a while back; don’t remember why and where. They are the purest form of chocolate. I thought I could do something with it—work it in bread dough or incorporate it in granola. Since the recipe calls for roasted cocoa nibs, I roasted the nibs in a pan. What a revelation! Under heat, the nibs started smelling like chocolate. The aroma intensified as I pounded the roasted cocoa nibs into a fine grind. Now I know what David means when he says he purchases cocoa nibs by the kilo and adds them to almost every chocolate dessert he can. (We all know how much he likes chocolate desserts.) I’d follow his lead on this one.

To me, this bake is all about the amazing super ingredients: home-ground buckwheat flour and cocoa nibs. Part of the fun of baking is the wonderment of discovery: ingredients or new methodology. That keeps me spinning in new directions.

The buckwheat madeleines are thrilling to make and addictive to eat. They are crunchier and grittier than the normal buttery kind. I ate so much of the batch I made. Eating more of the dessert made with superfood ingredients may alleviate guilt. But it can be ruinous.

To see other buckwheat madeleines made by our friends at Cook-the-book-Fridays, please see the links here.

Un-molding is easy with this heavy-gauge non-stick carbon steel madeleine pan