What is a Proust Madeleine?
Whether it’s the smell of your what is automotive perfume or the taste of that little piece of cake you had as a child, a moment triggered by a certain scent, sight or taste has become known as a “proust madeleine”, inspired by 20th-century French writer Marcel Proust. After all, it was he who coined the term for involuntary memory – the strange phenomena when a particular smell, taste or sight can trigger a gushing deluge of memories from long ago.
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In his semi-autobiographical novel A la recherche du temps perdu (Remembrance of Things Past), the narrator recalls a childhood memory about his aunt, in which she gives him a madeleine that melts in his mouth. This simple taste of a small sponge-cake-cum-biscuit, baked in a special mold and coated with a light dusting of powdered sugar is what is now associated with Proust’s literary iconism.
Aside from the fact that these little cakes are irresistible, they also make an ideal ingredient in all sorts of cooking recipes. The squat, shell-shaped petit gateaux are easy to bake: simply mix eggs, butter and sugar and spoon the batter into a baking tray with an indentation on each side. Bake them until they are golden brown and spring back lightly when touched.
Aside from their role as a culinary symbol, the squat petits gateaux are a beloved emblem of Eure-et Loir, where Marcel Proust spent much of his time. They are considered to be a speciality of the region, and a genuine madeleine is often referred to as a “Madeleine de Proust”. The name is so famous, that it has even been dubbed a cultural cliche.
