American Girl Cooking Class at Williams-Sonoma and Madeleines Recipe

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Hey Yall!  Remember my post a couple of weeks back about Williams-Sonoma having free cooking classes in their stores for adults and kids?


This time, the girls went to an American Girl themed class at Williams-Sonoma this past weekend, and I wanted to share my thoughts about this particular cooking class.

Now, this class isn't free.  It's $40 per child, and it comes with a goody bag of stuff needed to cook at home of what the kids made in class.

Class started at 10 am Saturday when the store opened.  Walking in, there were two prep stations already ready for the girls to start making their madeleines.

Last time when we were in Williams-Sonoma, the store decor was Asian themed, now decor is all about springtime and Easter.  Seems like this year is already flying by fast, but no complaints here, I love the sweet air of freshly cut grass and flowers, pastel colors, and warmer, sunnier days.

The cooking teacher got to know each student and set them up at their stations.  The girls sat their dolls down to free up their hands to get ready to cook some French madeleine sponge cakes.

This class was much more hands on and funnier for the kids.  All the girls and one boy were filled with excitement and smiles on their faces to be cooking.

This cooking class is much longer than the free one, and the teacher helps each student with their task and explains to them what all the ingredients are, and what they need them for.

The madeleines were simple to make and came out perfect.  The best part was dusting confectioners' sugar and pink glitter flakes on the madeleines, and dipping them in chocolate sauce, yum!  The cooking class would've been even better if it was set up as a tea party.  The girls with their dolls eating madeleines along with tea, that's what little girls like to do with their dolls.  But with them getting the tools needed to make it at home, they can create their own tea party with their dolls and friends.

This is a great partnership for both American Girl and Williams-Sonoma.  It helps children to learn to cook and inspires them to become chefs some day.  We'll be attending more classes in the future.

Would you like to make American Girl: Madeleines?  Check out this recipe below:

Chuck Williams' Madeleines

History:  These cakelike cookies, flavored with fragrant orange flower water, are baked in a special pan with shell-shaped molds.  Madeleine pans, also called plaques, were among the first baking pans that Chuck Williams brought to America in the late 1950s, and they were the most popular items for a year or two in his store.  Sifting the flour before measuring ensures that the madeleines will have a light texture.






Ingredients Needed:

• 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) cake flour

• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup (2 oz./ 60 g) granulated sugar

• 2 tsp. orange flower water

• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing

• Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400F (200C).  Generously butter a 12-mold madeleine pan.



2. In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.



3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the egg, granulated sugar and orange flower water for 30 seconds.  Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture has quadrupled in bulk and is very thick, about 10 minutes.



4. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the flour mixture and then the softened butter into the egg mixture.  Spoon the batter into the prepared molds, filling each one about three-fourths full.



5. Bake until the madeleines are lightly browned around the edges and on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes.



6. Remove the madeleines from the oven and immediately turn them out onto a wire rack.  Using a fine-mesh sieve or a sifter, dust them with confectioner's sugar.  Serve warm.  Makes 12 madeleines.

 

Enjoy!

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