French Madeleines

Though I love all cookies equally, madeleines are the dainty French treat I hunt for at bakeries the most. The size of a cookie with the texture of a cake, baked into an adorable decorative shell? How could I not? Luckily for me, though they have a bit of a fussy reputation, these little butter cakes are actually super doable at home too, no travel required to get your fix. All you need is a madeleine pan, basic baking ingredients like butter and eggs, and a little patience, and you’ll be saying ooh là in no time. Here’s what you need to know:

What Are Madeleines?

Though the origin story of these little French pastries is a bit murky, what is clear is how you’ll find them at nearly every goûter, or French afternoon “snack time”. I can see why—with their delicate crumb (somewhere between a financier and pound cake), their light flavor, and their ease of portability, these are the perfect treat whether you’re sitting down to a relaxing café or eating them on-the-go. Though technically you could bake them in any pan (even a muffin tin would work), one of the main differences between madeleines and other desserts is their distinctive shell fluting. The other is their “hump”, the signature bump that is created by steam escaping as the chilled batter reacts to the heat of the oven.

How To Make French Madeleines

INGREDIENTS

• All-Purpose Flour, Eggs & Granulated Sugar: This batter is made by whipping whole eggs and sugar until ribbony, folding them with sifted flour, then combining everything with melted butter. This method is referred to as the foaming method, and it’s used to incorporate air into the batter, creating lift and giving the madeleines a light, airy texture.
• Baking Powder: This chemical leavener is one way that we ensure our madeleines have that signature fluffy, light-as-air texture.
• Kosher Salt: Make sure you’re using kosher salt here so that you nail the perfect flavor and texture, and don't end up with overly-salty madeleines.
• Butter & Almond Extract: This recipe uses browned butter and almond extract for extra nuttiness. If you don't want to take the extra step of browning your butter, you can just use melted butter (I promise I won't be mad).
• Orange Zest: My recipe swaps traditional lemon zest for orange to add a pop of brightness and color.
• White Chocolate Chips: I dipped some of our madeleines in melted white chocolate, but feel free to skip that if you’d like them plain. This adds some extra sweetness since the madeleines themselves aren’t overly sweet.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

The first step is to whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Dump them into a bowl, and give them a quick whisk. What makes a good madeleine is the signature light-as-air texture. To get that, we need to incorporate enough air into our batter. Whip the devil out of the eggs and sugar in a stand mixture until ribbony and the volume has tripled in size (this is called the foaming method). Go for the full 10 minutes to ensure that you get perfectly fluffy madeleines instead of flat, sad ones.

Madeleines typically have butter in them, but browned butter will elevate them. Add unsalted butter to your pan, and let it melt until it starts to brown and smell toasty. Keep an eye on it to prevent any burning. Once done, remove from heat and add to a bowl. Add more unsalted butter to help it cool down before adding it to your batter. Whisk the butter in until it is fully melted and combined.

We’re going to add flavor by adding two of my favorite flavor enhancers: almond extract and orange zest. Add both to the egg and sugar mixture, beating until just incorporated. We’re going to add ⅓ of the dry ingredients each time to ensure it gets fully combined and that there are no pockets of flour. Be gentle when incorporating the flour and butter so that the tiny pockets of air in the eggs stay intact. As the butter is folded in, it may look like it will never be incorporated. Be patient! Keep folding, and the batter will smooth out, I promise. Cover with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for around 30 minutes.

A madeleine pan is essential for the classic shape, but I'll let you in on another secret: If you don’t have one, you can still make madeleines. Use a muffin tin for the same delicious taste, just with a different shape. To keep your madeleines from sticking, use a pastry brush to brush each well in the pan with neutral oil (canola, vegetable, sunflower) and dust with flour until each well is fully coated in a thin layer. Tap off any excess flour and chill the pan for around 10 minutes in the freezer before adding the batter. We’re taking this extra step so that the pan will be super cold, just like our batter. This will help it to expand and rise in the oven.

Use a scooper to dollop a heaping tablespoon into each of the wells, then bake until the edges start to turn golden-brown (this should take around 10 minutes).

Now, here comes the optional step. If you so desire, you can melt white chocolate and dip your madeleines in them for a touch of extra sweetness. Or, leave them plain and enjoy with a nice cup of coffee.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap baked madeleines individually in plastic and place them in a resealable container for up to 3 months.