Sometimes, size does matter.

On Saturday night, my apartment was really. Effing. Cold. My windows don't have the best insulation - something that doesn't usually matter, since I can't adjust my own heat and it's usually cranked up way high. But, on Saturday night (after three days of temperatures at or below 20 degrees) it mattered.

To ward off the chill, I decided to bake a batch of madeleines. I hauled the stand mixer out of the pantry and whipped the eggs and sugar till they were thick and glossy - almost like a yolky meringue. Then I gently folded in the vanilla, the silky, sifted flour and the melted butter.

At this point, I needed to make a decision - big, cakey madeleines, or small madeleines, with crisp-crumbly crusts? Being a big fan of the crisp and crumbly, I went for the small.

Aside from being totally adorable, miniature madeleines are perfect for serving with coffee, and they're also a great snack. Smaller than bite-sized, they have a greater crust-to-cake ratio and therefore taste even more strongly of rich, caramelized sugar than their standard-sized counterparts.

An excellent dessert, and pretty good for breakfast today, too. Yum.