French · Baking · Medium
Madeleines
Buttery little shell-shaped cakes with crisp edges and tender lemon-scented centers. Best eaten still warm.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Madeleines, in 5 ideas
- The resting time is what creates the famous hump; cold batter hitting a hot pan rises dramatically.
- Do not overfill the molds; three-quarters full is the sweet spot.
- Brown the butter first for a nutty depth that elevates the whole cookie.
- They stale within hours, so bake only what you will eat.
- Dip half in melted chocolate for madeleines that look like a patisserie made them.
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
How to make it
Directions
- Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, and ribbon-like, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and lemon zest.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt gently. Drizzle in the melted butter and fold just to combine.
- Rest the batter in the fridge at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- Heat the oven to 375F. Butter and flour a madeleine pan generously.
- Fill each shell three-quarters full. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden with the signature hump.
- Cool 2 minutes, unmold, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm.
Money saver. A madeleine pan is a small investment that pays off forever. Silicone versions release the cakes effortlessly.