After spending a good amount of time in France and developing a love for French pastry, I decided that it was time to learn how to make a classic madeleine cookie recipe. These mini butter cakes are a bit trickier than you would expect, but the end result is a delicious treat, perfect for serving with a cup of coffee or tea.
What Is a Madeleine Cookie?
There is great debate over whether madeleines are cookies or cakes, and technically, a madeleine is a small, sponge-like cake. Madeleines come from the Lorraine region of France, where they are made in special pans with shell-shaped depressions that give them their signature look. The batter used to make French madeleines is a genoise, so it is leavened naturally with eggs.
Madeleine Cookie Recipe (Step by Step)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus 2 additional tablespoons for the pan
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour, plus 1 additional tablespoon for the pan
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling on top
Tools You’ll Need
- Madeleine mold: This is the most important tool you’ll need when making a madeleine cookie recipe. Choose a good quality nonstick pan for the best results.
- Flour sifter: Sifting your flour is essential when baking to be sure that the flour is light and airy. You can also use a sifter to dust the baking pan with flour after it is buttered.
- Microplane grater: Classic French madeleines feature a citrus flavor that comes from the juice and zest of lemons. A microplane grater, or zester, that works in both directions will save you time and energy.
Directions
Step 1: Melt the butter
Melt the butter and set aside to slightly cool as you prepare the rest of the batter. You can also brown the butter slightly if you like.
Step 2: Make the batter
Using a hand whisk, beat the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla extract together rapidly for at least 8 minutes. The mixture will be thick and pale, and form ribbons when you lift the whisk.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. With a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold half of the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the remaining flour.
Step 3: Incorporate the butter
Stir 1/4 cup of the batter into the melted butter. It will take a minute to fully incorporate. Then, stir in the rest of the batter. It should be thick, silky and shiny.
Step 4: Chill
Cover the batter and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. It’s best not to chill it for longer because the butter will start to solidify.
Step 5: Make the madeleines
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and mix with 1 tablespoon flour. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the pan with the mixture.
The batter will be quite airy and spongy after resting. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon of batter into the center of each scalloped well. You don’t need to spread it to the edges.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The madeleines are done when the tops spring back after being lightly pressed with your finger. Invert the pan onto the counter. Transfer the warm madeleines to a wire rack to cool.
Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, before serving.
Madeleine Cookie Recipe Tips
Making madeleines can be challenging—but I have some tips and tricks to make sure they turn out properly.
What can I use if I don’t have a madeleine pan?
If you don’t have a proper madeleine pan, you can try other molds that you already have in your kitchen, such as a silicone muffin pan or small rectangular or round molds. Just remember that if you use a different style of pan, you may not get the small bump that forms in a classic madeleine pan.
How do I fix madeleines that are too dense?
When it comes to madeleines, this is a common baking problem and, unfortunately, there is no easy fix once they’re made. Madeleines turn out too dense if you don’t whisk your egg mixture enough. The mixture should be whipped to the point where it is thick and pale, and drops from the whisk into the bowl like ribbons.
Can you make the batter ahead of time?
Madeleines taste best the same day they’re baked, but you can make the batter up to 24 hours in advance. Before you store it, cover the batter tightly with plastic wrap.
How to Make This Madeleine Cookie Recipe Your Own
Using lemon, or even orange, zest is classic, but you can experiment with different combinations to customize this madeleine cookie recipe. For a more intense flavor, replace the vanilla extract with vanilla bean paste. You can also add in various spices or extracts to change the flavor, such as almond extract or chai spice.
To create beautiful madeleines, decorate the finished cookies with drizzles of milk chocolate or white chocolate and dust them with powdered sugar or cocoa, or top the melted chocolate with chopped nuts before it cools.
How to Store Madeleines
Madeleines are best served straight from the oven when they are still slightly warm with a light crisp. You can also store them in an airtight container for up to two days. (See more tips for how to store your favorite baked goods.)
You can freeze madeleines for up to one month if you allow them to cool completely after baking. Wrap the mini cakes in wax paper and then aluminum foil and place into an airtight container. Allow them to thaw at room temperature and then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
What to Serve with Madeleines
The classic French way to eat madeleines is with a cup of tea, such as Lemon Almond Tea.
Hazelnut Madeleine Cookies
What types of French cookies are there? French macarons, palmiers, lace cookies, waffles cookies, meringues—you name it! But we have to give these soft, cakelike madeleines the prize. They have a delicate hazelnut flavor—perfect for making great memories! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Palmiers
It takes just two ingredients to make these impressive but easy-to-do French pastries, which are often called palm leaves. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
French Macarons
Even decorated simply—a sprinkle of sugar, a drizzle of icing—these stylish beauties are part of our creative Christmas cookies collection. They will be the showstoppers on any cookie tray. —Josh Rink, Photo Stylist Taste of Home
Chocolate-Tipped Butter Cookies
These wonderfully moist morsels are too tempting to resist. They melt right in your mouth. Rather than sprinkling the chocolate tips with nuts, you can roll them in red and green jimmies or leave them plain. —Charolette Westfall, Houston, Texas
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Meringue Roses
Eat these pretty treats as is or crush them into a bowl of strawberries and whipped cream. Readers of my blog, utry.it, went nuts when I posted that idea.—Amy Tong, Anaheim, California
Lemon Tea Cookies
These sandwich cookies taste rich and buttery and have a lovely lemon filling. The recipe has been in our family since the 1950s, when my mother got it from a French friend in her club. —Phyllis Dietz, Westland, Michigan
Cinnamon Roll Macarons
These macarons are a winter/fall staple for me—inspired by the classic cinnamon roll, they are a delicious treat for a cold or snowy day. These pair well with a mug of tea, and can be eaten as a dessert or just a snack. Try custard, mousse, ganache, or any other buttercream as fillings, too. —Elizabeth Ding, El Cerrito, California
Meringue Kisses
There's a nice chocolaty surprise inside these sweet kisses. They're my husband's top choice each Christmas.—Tami Henke, Lockport, Illinois
Chocolate Lace Cookies
My mother and I make these elegant chocolate lace cookies. Baking together is a delightful way to spend an afternoon catching up.—Stacey B., Stillwater, Oklahoma
French Christmas Cookies
These moist treats will have everyone reaching for more. Folks tell me they enjoy these French Christmas cookies. In fact, the batches I make ahead for my family and store in the freezer until Christmas seem to mysteriously disappear each year—even though the chocolate topping I put on before serving hasn't been added yet! —Judy Wilder, Mankato, Minnesota
Waffle-Iron Cookies
The recipe for these cookies is the easiest to find in my book because it's a beautiful mess. It's covered with fingerprints, flour smudges and memories of more than 30 Christmases! I made these with my daughters, and now I make them with my granddaughters. —Judy Taylor, Quarryville, Pennsylvania
Pistachio Palmiers
My family loves palmiers from the bakery, so I created my own recipe. These have a Mideastern twist with the addition of rosewater, honey and a touch of cardamom. They are light and crisp, and a special treat for the holidays. —Deborah Hinojosa, Saratoga, California
Surprise Meringues
These crisp, delicate cookies are light as a feather. Mini chocolate chips and chopped nuts are a delightful and yummy surprise in every bite. Mom knows this fun dessert is a fitting finale to a big meal. —Gloria Grant, Sterling, Illinois
Hazelnut Macarons
You don’t have to be an expert in French cooking to whip up these sandwich cookies. The crisp, chewy macarons take attention to detail, but they’re not hard to make—and they’re simply a delight, both for personal snacking and giving as gifts! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
French Noisette Cups
The word “noisette” is French for hazelnut, and these delightful tassie-style treats have a yummy toasted nut flavor in a golden and delicious pastry. —Marie Rizzio, Interlochen, MichiganThe post How to Make Classic French Madeleine Cookies appeared first on Taste of Home.
April Preisler