These foolproof French Madeleines are the perfect tea-time treat.
Madeleines. Your tongue dances, tapping up, then down, then up again. Just saying the word brings a sweet taste to the mouth. I was first introduced to the French cake (or is it a cookie?) at a San Francisco specialty store. It came in one of those containers, by the dozen. And by the dozen, it left the container and settled into the jiggly blob that is my stomach.
I remember watching Madeline, (not Madeleine) a television series about a colorful little girl growing up in Paris. It was hard not to like the show, and each time I make a Madeleine, I can’t help think of the tiny little red-head character from Paris.
It took a while before I tried my next Madeleine, this time, at a popular French bakery (Charlotte) in Warsaw. I liked the slightly crunchy exterior that hid a fluffy, buttery sponge within. Madeleines are not complicated, neither in method nor in flavor. They are scented with lemon, vanilla and butter. They aren’t too sweet, nor are they too heavy. I like to think of Madeleines as a tea-time accompaniment somewhere between a cookie (in terms of size) and a cake (in terms of texture), a sweet treat that is so light, you can eat a whole plate without feeling lethargic like normal after a large helping of dessert.
When I tried to recreate an easy Madeleine recipe at home, I wasn’t able to attain the same texture that I had tried at the bakery, even though the recipes I tried yielded soft, spongey cakes. From then on, it became my mission to find to find the perfect Madeleine recipe. And find it I did.
I’ve adapted this recipe from the Le Cordon Bleu: Pâtisserie and Baking Foundations [1] cookbook, a birthday gift from a friend. Because of the nature of the cookbook, many recipes are not easy- some recipes call for over a dozen eggs. This one on the other hand, easy. Minimal ingredients, minimal preparation.
What I also like about it is the inclusion of brown butter in the pâté or batter. I love brown butter. You know that. I’ve shown you how to make brown butter bourbon blondies [2], a brown butter peanut butter skillet cookie [3], a Guinness chocolate cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting [4], the list goes on.
Brown butter isn’t difficult to make, it simply involves taking melted butter a step further in the saucepan, until your result is a caramel-scented, copper-tinted, brown-speckled liquid. The extra three minutes are worth it, but yes, you can use just use melted butter instead.
In addition to brown butter, this pâté is scented with lemon zest, a traditional addition to this particular cake. The lemon is not overpowering in any way, it simply adds a touch of freshness in terms of scent and flavor. You can add more if you would like a lemon-flavored Madeleine. However, I find that the amount listed in the recipe is just right.
Now a Madeleine is known for its shell-like appearance. This is a result of a Madeleine pan [5]. You can probably purchase one at most baking stores, but you can definitely purchase it online. Otherwise, just use a mini (or regular) muffin tray and make soft, buttery cupcakes instead!
A couple of other things to note:
Serve these simple Madeleines with a dusting of icing sugar and a nice cup of tea or coffee, you won’t go wrong.
If you like this easy Madeleines recipe, you might like these treats, too!
URLs in this post:
[1] Le Cordon Bleu: Pâtisserie and Baking Foundations: http://amzn.to/2dBzgnV
[2] brown butter bourbon blondies: https://www.hotchocolatehits.com/2016/09/brown-butter-bourbon-blondies.html
[3] brown butter peanut butter skillet cookie: https://www.hotchocolatehits.com/2015/08/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-pan-cookie.html
[4] Guinness chocolate cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting: https://www.hotchocolatehits.com/2015/03/guinness-chocolate-cake-brown-butter-cream-cheese-icing.html
[5] Madeleine pan: http://amzn.to/2dBzc7D
[6] Print Recipe: https://hotchocolatehits.com/wprm_print/23347
[7] Pin Recipe: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/bookmarklet/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhotchocolatehits.com%2F2016%2F10%2Ffoolproof-french-madeleines.html%2F&media=https%3A%2F%2Fhotchocolatehits.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F10%2FScreenshot-2023-08-24-at-12.30.42.png&description=Foolproof+French+Madeleines&is_video=false
[8] Rate Recipe: #commentform
[9] Vanilla macarons: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2014/02/vanilla-macarons.html/
[10] Nutella filled beignets: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2014/02/nutella-filled-beignets.html/
[11] Doughnut french toast: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2014/05/doughnut-french-toast-and-national-doughnut-day.html/