Santa Madeleines

I am a horrible cookie decorator! I keep thinking one day a miracle will happen and I will finally get it. The fact is, I actually prefer most desserts unfrosted. A little sprinkle of sugar on top of a cookie is just fine with me...or a drizzle of good chocolate.

However, when I saw these Santa Madeleines, I thought they were so adorable that I'd give them a try. Unfortunately, I thought the frosting recipe was very hard to work with (couldn't have been me) and I didn't care for the taste of it either.

The Madeleines themselves were wonderful!  I used the 'optional' crushed anise seed and it added a delightful yet subtle flavor to these dainty little cakes.  I will be making this recipe again.

I do love Santas - but only the ones I don't have to decorate myself :)

Madeleines (Plain or Santa - You Decide)

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
Printable Recipe

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel
2 teaspoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon anise seed, crushed (optional)

1 recipe Decorator Frosting (see recipe below) or 2 cans vanilla frosting
Red, blue, green, pink, and/or black paste food coloring
Small round candies (optional)

Grease and flour twenty-four 3-inch madeleine molds; set aside. Stir together flour and baking powder; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl beat egg and egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Add powdered sugar; beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed about 5 minutes more or until very thick and satiny. Beat in butter with an electric mixer on low speed. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until combined. Stir in orange peel, orange juice, and, if using, anise seed. Carefully spoon batter into the prepared molds, filling each three-fourths full.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until edges are golden and tops spring back. Cool in molds on rack 1 minute. Loosen cookies with a knife. Invert cookies onto a rack and cool completely.

Divide frosting, leaving about half of it white; color one-third with red and/or pink food coloring and remaining with green, black, and/or blue food coloring.

To decorate, fill a decorating bag fitted with a small star tip with white frosting. Pipe on hat trim at an angle about a third of the way down from narrow end of cookie. Fill decorating bag fitted with a small star tip or plain tip with red or pink frosting; pipe on hat. With white frosting, pipe on mustache, beard, and pom-pom hat. Fill decorating bag fitted with a small round tip with green, black, or blue frosting; pipe on eyes. Using red frosting, pipe on mouth. Pipe on other frosting decorations. (Or, use small round candies for eyes, nose, mouth, and cheeks, attaching them with frosting.) Wrap cookies tightly to store. Makes 24 cookies.