Rosemary Madeleines with White Chocolate
I absolutely love rosemary in a baked good. So when thinking through new recipes, the idea for these rosemary madeleines sounded too good to pass up.
This recipe will make you look fancy without too much work. Make sure you keep a close eye on your batter prep and rest times, and you’ll have delicious, fluffy shells in almost-ish no time!
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ROSEMARY MADELEINES
In my opinion, rosemary is an underutilized flavor in dessert. It adds such a delicious depth that pairs so well in things like shortbread or madeleines. Add a white chocolate shell and, my gosh, we have a winner.
I kept seeing these madeleines on social media with classy coatings on them, and after a few TikTok dives, I sorted out that it’s actually quite simple to do. Yay for us!
To form a chocolate shell on a madeleine, melt the chocolate with a little oil, spoon it into the well, and press a cooled madeleine straight in. Let the chocolate set completely before removing.
INGREDIENTS
- Unsalted butter: adds richness and a tender, buttery texture to the madeleines.
- Powdered sugar: sweetens the batter while keeping it light and smooth.
- Baking powder: provides lift for light, airy cakes and helps create the classic hump.
- Eggs: bind the ingredients and give structure, moisture, and stability.
- Fresh rosemary: infuses a subtle, aromatic herbal flavor throughout the madeleines.
- Flour: forms the base structure of the madeleines; extra is used to prevent sticking in the pan.
- White chocolate: creates a sweet, creamy shell that complements the herbal notes of the cakes.
- Canola oil: thins the chocolate slightly to make it smooth and easy to coat the madeleines.
To take your white chocolate shells to the next level… Sprinkle a little chopped rosemary into the melted chocolate once you’ve spooned it into the well. Once your madeleines have set inside, the chocolate shell will have delicious specks of rosemary inside!
HOW TO MAKE ROSEMARY MADELEINES with a WHITE CHOCOLATE SHELL
In a bowl, sift together the powdered sugar, baking powder, and flour, then whisk in the beaten, room-temperature eggs until combined. Add the melted room-temperature butter and whisk until the batter is fairly loose.
Fold in the chopped rosemary gently with a spatula, being careful not to overmix to preserve a tender texture. Cover the bowl or transfer the mixture to a piping bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, ideally 12 hours, for an even fluffier bake.
Grease your madeleine molds and lightly dust with flour, then preheat the oven to 428°F (220°C) convection. Pipe the batter into each mold in a single line about ¾ inch wide; the mixture will spread as it bakes.
Place the molds in the oven, immediately reduce the temperature to 320°F (160°C) convection, and bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are golden. Tap the edge of the pan on the counter, tip the madeleines out immediately, and flip so the bump side is facing up. Allow them to cool completely.
Place the white chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until smooth and lump-free.
Spoon a portion of the chocolate into the center of a madeleine shell and press a cooled madeleine shell-side down into it, adjusting slightly to coat if needed. Repeat until all madeleines are covered.
Allow the coated madeleines to cool completely in the pan on the counter, which may take an hour or more depending on your environment. Once set, they should pop out easily and maintain their shape.
3 reasons you’ll love these French butter cakes
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- It’s key that your batter is cold ahead of baking, to acquire that signature madeleine pearl as it bakes! If you’ve piped your batter in and your oven isn’t ready yet, store the tray in the fridge while you wait.
- I prefer popping out the baked madeleines and cooling them on the counter or flipped over in the tray. You can cool on a wire rack but it will likely leave lines.
- For a snazzy touch, chop up some extra rosemary and sprinkle in each pool of chocolate before you press your cooled madeleines into the mold.
- You want the white chocolate to just cover the madeleine’s shell, not go over (or you’ll have a bit of an awkward edge). Better to be a little short on coverage than too much, so don’t overly maneuver your madeleines once you press them into the melted chocolate.
- If you need to cool the chocolate shells, you can pop the trays into the freezer for 15 minutes to set. Note that if you plan to store or serve these at room temperature, doing a cold cool will make your chocolate more likely to melt or appear wet when held.
HOW TO STORE ROSEMARY MADELEINES
Madeleines are best served fresh, but they will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store them at room temperature.
MORE WHITE CHOCOLATE RECIPES
- The BEST White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
- Rosemary & White Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- Black & White Popcorn (Single-Serve Recipe!)
- Easy Red Velvet Cake Pops with White Chocolate Drizzle
- Rosemary & White Chocolate Buttermilk Scones
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
Equipment
- 12-well Madeleine Pan
- Fine Mesh Strainer
- Pot
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Piping Bag
- Bowls
- Digital Scale
Ingredients
- 83 g Unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temp
- 83 g Powdered sugar
- 4 g Baking powder
- 100 g Beaten egg
- 1 tbsp Fresh rosemary finely chopped (plus extra, see note)
- 83 g Flour plus extra for coating pan
- 150 g White chocolate
- ¾ tbsp Canola oil
Instructions
MADELEINES
- In a bowl, sift together powdered sugar, baking powder, and flour.
- Add beaten, room-temperature, eggs and whisk to combine
- Whisk in your melted room temperature butter until combined. Should have a fairly loose batter
- Add in your chopped rosemary and fold in with a spatula. Don’t overmix here or it will affect the texture of your cakes.
- Cover your bowl OR place the mixture into a piping bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes but ideally at least 12 hours for an even fluffier bake
- Grease your madeleine molds and lightly dust with flour
- Preheat oven to 428°F (220°C) convection
- Add your batter to a piping bag, if you didn’t already, and pipe into each mold a single line, about ¾ inch wide, from top to bottom. The mixture will spread as it bakes.
- Once your molds are filled*, place them into the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 320°F (160°C) convection
- Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden
- When removing from the oven, tap the edge of the pan on the counter* and tip the madeleines out immediately. Flip so the bump side is facing up. Cool completely.
WHITE CHOCOLATE SHELL
- Place your white chocolate and oil into a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat until your mixture is smooth and no more lumps.
- Spoon a tablespoon of your chocolate mixture into the center of a shell of your madeleine pan, and press a cooled madeleine straight down within, shell side down. Only shift slightly* to coat, if needed. Repeat until all madeleines are covered.
- Allow to cool completely in the pan on the counter*, before popping out. This will likely take at least an hour but potentially more (or less) depending on your climate. They should pop out easily.
- Enjoy!
