I studied abroad in Limoges, France during my junior year of college. I ate plenty of madeleines. Never loved them. Why am I telling you this ahead of giving you a recipe for madeleines? Because this recipe changed my mind about these French cakes (often referred to as cookies but… they’re just tiny, buttery cakes). With just enough tang, the right amount of moistness, and a sweet, citrusy glaze. Hot damn, these are simply perfection. 

Quick heads up, pay very careful note to your temperatures ahead of combining ingredients. Don’t be like me (on one occasion) and spend the time to brown butter only to forget that your eggs may be cold… and have the butter seize. Also, don’t underestimate the impact of how you flour your molds. The shell shape is delicate, so dusting your greased molds with sifted flour will make a huge difference in not blocking the cakes from taking shape while baking.

Also, it is ideal for you to have a digital scale for this recipe as the measurements don’t evenly convert into spoons and cups. 

Equipment needed:

• 12-cup Madeleine Pan

• Fine mesh strainer

• Pot

• Spatula

• Whisk

• Piping bag

• Bowls

• Digital scale

Yields: 12 Madeleines 

Ingredients:

• Madeleines 

• 83g Unsalted butter

• 83g Powdered sugar

• 4g Baking powder

• 100g Beaten egg

• ½ Lemon, zested

• 83g Plain flour, plus extra for coating pan

• Glaze

  • 125g Icing sugar

  • 37g Lemon juice

Directions:

• MADELEINES

• In a small saucepan, brown your butter. Once browned, remove from heat and place in a cold water bath. Your butter needs to be at 104F/40C or slightly below before you can use

• In a bowl, sieve together powdered sugar and baking powder. 

• Once butter hits temperature, pour into sugar/powder mixture and whisk to combine.

• Add beaten, room-temperature, eggs and whisk to combine

• Add lemon zest and whisk to combine

• Sieve in flour and gently whisk to combine. Don’t overmix here or it will affect the texture of your cakes.

• Cover your bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

• Grease and flour* your molds

• Preheat oven to 428F/220C convection

• Add your batter to a piping bag and pipe into each mold a single line, about ¾ inch wide, from top to bottom. Do not spread the mixture, it will spread as it bakes.

• Once your molds are filled, place them into the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 320F/160C convection

• Bake 10-12 minutes

• When removing from the oven, tip out immediately onto a cooling rack and flip so the bump side is facing up.

• For your glaze, simply whisk together your sieved powdered sugar and lemon juice in a bowl.

• Dip your cooled madeleines, shell side only, into the glaze to coat. Place back in the molds, bump side down.

• At 428F/220C convect, place your madeleines back in the oven for 45 seconds only, just to dry the glaze.

• Remove and cool completely on a wire rack

Notes:

• Gently sift flour over your greased molds for a light coating. Do not overcoat with flour or you will risk affecting the mold imprint on your cakes.

• I received this recipe from Chef Ashley during my patisserie course in Scotland.

Don’t forget to tag @accentgolden on social with pictures of your creations! I love to see what you’re baking.