Madeleines
Madeleines are soft, spongy cookies that are more like mini cakes. They’re light and airy and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
I’ve been trying to find the perfect madeleine recipe. My family loves madeleines. I’ve seen a lot of different recipes and different flavored madeleines. I plan on experimenting with flavored ones soon, but first I want to find the best classic madeleine recipe out there. So, this weekend I tried a recipe I found on All Recipes.
Notes about this Madeleine Recipe
Madeleines should have a light and spongy texture because they’re actually little cakes although everyone refers to them as cookies. For this batch, I was pleased with the texture – they were light and buttery.
Traditional madeleines have lemon, but I left it out because I don’t really enjoy the taste. I omitted from the recipe I’m sharing, but if you prefer to have lemon flavor just add a ½ teaspoon of lemon zest with the eggs when you beat them.
Some recipes I’ve seen look very complicated, but this one is very straightforward and simple. Many recipes also instruct you to chill the dough, but this one doesn’t and I’m wondering if that is a step you shouldn’t skip. In researching, I think the cookies puff up even taller if the dough is cold when you bake it.
I really like how the cookies developed a golden edge as they baked which gives them a nice texture. I also was happy that they formed the “madeleine bump” in the center which is what should happen when they bake.
The original recipe instructs you to grease the pan, which I tried but I didn’t like how they looked so I skipped that. Mine released fine from the nonstick pan I think they look prettier.
Overall, I liked this recipe but I think there are probably better ones out there so the search continues!
Update: Since writing this post I’ve made more madeleines! You might like to try my other classic madeleine recipe or check out my matcha version and chocolate madeleines, too.
Madeleines
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a medium bowl beat eggs, vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Beat for 5 to 7 minutes or until thick and satiny.
- Sift together the flour and baking powder. Sift one-fourth of the flour mixture over the egg mixture, gently fold in. Fold in the remaining flour by fourths. Then fold in the melted and cooled butter. Spoon batter into the prepared molds, filling 3/4 full.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden and the top s spring back. Cool in molds on a rack for 1 minute. Loosen cookies with a knife. Invert cookies onto a rack and cool.
that’s too bad that there isn’t a perfect recipe. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to keep experimenting!
Yours look absolutely adorable! I am also mad with Madeleine and have always wanted to “perfect” any recipe I could get my hands on!
I once read from a New York newspaper that a famous pastry chef commented:”…there is no such thing as a perfect recipe for Madeleine…it is near impossible to develop one!…”
But I think that’s why we love to bake them!
Thanks for sharing and for posting!
Sorry my french isn’t very good. Thanks for your tips. I was able to achieve the bump on my cookies. It’s just on the bottom of the cookie and I didn’t show it in the pictures. But I’ll try the fridge method sometime to see if it helps the taste of these cookies or helps them store better.
Almond extract sounds delicious! I was also thinking of trying coconut extract. Do you have any suggestions for storing? These tasted good the first 2 days, but by day 3 not so much. I used snapware containers but it didn’t seem to help.
I’ve also tried dashes of orange extract, and on other occasions, almond extract – both are heavenly!
bonjour.
Je n’ai pas encore la recette parfaite des madeleines mais si vous voulez Une jolie bosse sur le dessus, ce Qui fait tout de meme le charme de la Madeleine, Il Faut Mettre vos plaques garnies quelques heures au frigo.
ensuite vous les mettez Dans Le Four préchauffé.
Cela va faire un choc thermique, chaud-froid, et la bosse va se former.
Bien souvent chez nous les madeleines Ont du citron, mais bien enttendu si on aime pas cet agrume on peut tout un passant s’en fait.
je vous souhaite de trouver la recette parfaite;)