I've been telling Yumsugar I am officially the worst baker ever for months and she didn't believe me, so I decided to put my money where my mouth is and show her. In an effort to encourage my baking, my mother had given me the special pan to make Madeleines and having never made them I figured they were the perfect project.

I used the Joy of Cooking recipe and while I can admit they weren't the worst cookies I've ever tried, I had some trouble with them sticking to the pan (I had to use a fork to get them out because I hadn't buttered the pan up enough) and was unable to get that really cakey-texture you get when you buy them from a French bakery or even Starbucks or Trader Joes. I was also pretty heartbroken they weren't able to keep their pretty shell shape. I will try again, but next time I will get a baking spray and take them out of the oven a minute or two sooner.

A couple fun facts courtesy of Joy of Baking: Madeleines were made famous by Marcel Proust in his novel 'Remembrance of Things Past' in which he wrote: "She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called 'petites madeleines', which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim's shell.

Coming Soon: Yumsugar took a stab at the same recipe. And yes, my dear Madeleine, hers put mine to shame.