CHOCOLATE MADELEINE COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter and flour 12 (3 inch) madeleine molds; set aside.
• Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.
• In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.
• Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition.
• Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.
• Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
• Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.
• Variation: Chocolate Madeleines: Omit lemon zest. Increase sugar to 1/2 cup. Substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the flour; sift into batter with flour.

Steps:

• DUCK-FRIED RICE: This works with either homemade or doggie-bag rice and duck from a Chinese dinner out. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a wok. Add 1 clove of garlic, minced, a quarter-sized piece of ginger, minced, and cook until fragrant. Add 1/2 carrot, grated, a strip of red pepper, chopped, and 3 scallions, sliced. Break in an egg and cook until it forms curds. Add 1 cup of shredded cooked duck and 2 cups of cold, day-old rice. Heat through and season to taste with soy sauce and pepper flakes. Makes enough for two.
• SALAD: Toss mixed salad greens with vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Divide the greens among plates. Lay a few slices of duck breast on each plate and garnish with a dollop of cherry marmalade next to the duck.
• ANOTHER SALAD: Take a page from a chicken-salad recipe. Mix diced, smoked duck with diced celery, chopped scallions, roasted and chopped hazelnuts and a little good mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper and serve as an open-face sandwich.
• SOUP: Use the duck carcass the same way you would make chicken soup and you'll have, you guessed it, rich duck soup.