Madeleines are the best treat that you could ever bake, they are delicate, flavorful, buttery, not too sweet. The madeleine is a cross between a muffin and a cookie.

The madeleines have a French je ne sais quoi appeal, and are lovingly described by writer Marcel Proust in his iconic “A la recherche du temps perdu” (“Remembrance of Things Past”). Imagine: Just a taste of a madeleine dipped in tea evokes to the narrator’s mind memories of a chapter in childhood:

“No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me.”

How could you resist?

Nowadays, madeleines are popular worldwide and the plain version can be found in gourmet stores, supermarkets and bakeries.

I encourage you to bake flavored madeleines. They are so delicious, and my favorite is the Lemon flavor, so start there first, then make a tweak in the recipe to obtain other flavors such as Cranberry, Coffee Macadamia or Pistachio.

The secret to achieve the trademark hump on the madeleines, is to refrigerate the batter and then the madeleine mold (after filling) before baking. The thermal shock creates the cute hump.You will need non-stick madeleine molds which you can order at the end of the post.

Lemon Madeleines

Here’s an authentic French recipe for Lemon Madeleines (to make around 18 pcs)

Ingredients:

3 eggs

3.5 oz (100 g) caster sugar

3.8 oz (110 g) AP flour

Zest of one large lemon1 teaspoon baking powder

3 oz salted butter (you can use unsalted butter and add 1 teaspoon sea salt)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C)
2. Melt the butter in microwave, low heat.Let cool
3. Finely chop the lemon zest
4. In a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar and mix well with a whisk till frothy
5. Add the flour and baking powder. Add the melted butter and lemon zest
6. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator (this is to ensure that there will be the trademark hump on the madeleine)
7. If using a non-stick madeleine mold, it’s not necessary to grease it. If using a silicone mold, place it on a baking tray. Add the batter to the mold to 3/4 full. Put the mold tray in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.
8. Put in the preheated oven at 425 F (220 C) for 4 minutes
9. Lower the heat to  400 F (200 C) and bake for another 8 minutes (when the edges are golden, the madeleines are ready)
10. Unmold when warm

Cranberry Madeleines

Follow the above recipe, and instead of the lemon zest, add 1/2 cup of dry cranberry. I like to add the cranberries to the batter after filling the mold, to ensure they are evenly divided in each mold crevice, before refrigeration.

Pistachio Madeleines

Follow the Lemon Madeleines recipe and instead of the lemon zest, add 1 tablespoon of pistachio paste to the batter.

Coffee Macadamia Madeleines

Follow the Lemon Madeleines recipe and instead of the lemon zest, add 1-1/2 teaspoon instant coffee to the batter and after filling the madeleines mold, add 2 to 3 macadamia nuts to each madeleine mold before refrigeration.

The madeleines are so delicious and versatile. To add a festive touch, the madeleines could be dipped in melted chocolate and decorated with sprinkles

Related Products:

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2 Pack Madeleine Pan, OAMCEG 12 Cavity Heavy Duty Shell Shape Baking Mold Nonstick Cookie/Cake/Scone Pan Whoopie Pie Pan for Oven Baking

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Madame Loulou 8oz (227g) Pure Pistachio Paste for flavoring pastry, ice cream, confectionery and more (8oz)

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