Quick history lesson! Madeleines are believed to have been created in Commercy, France and are named after a 19th-century baker, Madeleine Paulmier. Another theory says that she may have been a cook in the 18th century for the king of Poland, whose son-in-law, Louis XV of France, named them after her. But Madeleiens are most associated with Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time.
All I know is that they are light and fluffy and are so much more customizable than you might think.
The process is pretty simple! You start out by melting the butter and setting it aside so it’s cool by the time you need to use it. Next, you’re going to mix together the sugar and eggs, then add in the flour and baking soda, and lastly, the extracts and melted butter. Most recipes I’ve seen say to add about a tablespoon of batter to the pans and bake immediately, but I have come across a few that say to chill the batter in the fridge for an hour before baking. I’ve tried both, and honestly, I couldn’t tell much of a difference. I think the chilled batter yielded a slightly softer madeleine, but you’ll get tasty results either way!
Tomorrow morning I’m making my first tv appearance and will be making these madeleines on the Talk of Alabama! My stomach is a big squirmy ball of nerves, but I’m super pumped at the same time. I’m going to split this batter into a few smaller bowls and make some different flavors. So if you’d like to learn more, tune in at 9am tomorrow morning!
Classic French Madeleines
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp lemon zest optional
- powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray two madeleine pans with non-stick spray.
- Place butter in a microwave safe dish and microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted. Set aside to cool.
- Combine sugar and eggs in a bowl and mix on medium-low speed using an electric hand-held mixer. Mix well until slightly foamy. Next, add flour and baking soda, and mix until combined. Then add melted butter and vanilla extract. (And lemon zest if you want!)
- Add about one tablespoon of batter to each of the shell-shaped cavities on the madeleine pans. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and the tops of the madeleines no longer jiggle.
- Let the madeleines cool in the pans for a few minutes, then gently remove them from the pans with a knife and let them finish cooling on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving!
Super cute! I’ll be watching – ABC 33/40 in the Birmingham area – 9 am sharp!
Beth, these look divine! I love madeleines and have even gone so far as to buy a pan to make them (but have yet to do so)–you’re totally inspiring me to try!
Love these!! Totally going to use your recipe when I try these again…can’t wait to play around with different flavors. Good luck on TV tomorrow – you’ll do great! 🙂
Although I adore your funfetti version, I’ve always been a huge fan of classic madeleines 😀 These are picture perfect, Beth. When do you plan on shipping some up north to the tundra I call home?? 😉
Oh my gosh, WOW Beth! Good luck! I can’t wait to see the video and I have no doubt you are going to KILL IT! Madeleines are one of my absolute favorites and it’s been way too long since I last made them. Thanks for the reminder and break a leg tomorrow!
Sometimes classic and simple is the way to go! That wand is adorable and now I’m browsing the site as well 🙂 Love finding new handy baking tools.
I’m sure you’ll do awesome!! Good luck!!
And oh my gosh, it’s been so cold here too! We’re all, we moved here to get away from the crazy cold!! haha
And I love these madeleines – they look so good!
I love the use of lemon! This darn cold weather needs to take a hint from these beauties. French people know how to do their desserts – quick, classic, and beautiful. You did an amazing job with these Beth, pinned!
I’ve always wanted to try making these. You make it sound so easy! Good luck on your TV appearance, that’s so great!!
I hope things went well for you on your first TV appearance! I’m sure you did great! I still haven’t tried making madeleines, but after seeing these that needs to change!
These look so light and fresh, I love that you added lemon! Good luck, I’m sure you will be great!!!
these smell as good as they taste and look! The TV anchors/crew/other TV guests inhaled these tasty little cakes! You can see bethcakes clip here:
http://www.abc3340.com/clip/11158653/beth-branch
Is it possible to make these without a medeline pan?
Hi, Betty! I guess you could possibly make them in a cupcake pan, but kind of the whole point of madeleines is the shell shape. The pans really aren’t that expensive, you can get them at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $16.99. 🙂
I will look for the pan. I’ve never heard of a Madeleine but I think I’m going to love them.
I can’t believe I’ve still yet to make a madeleine. Your’s look so amazingly perfect!
these look fantastic! How many Madeleine’s does this recipe make?
Something about French dessert always makes me want to bake! These look great!
I always make lemon sugar (lemon zest and sugar) when friends give me lemons. It’s so perfect for a recipe like this and so nice to have on hand!
How many does this recipe make?
This is a super easy recipe! I made these for the first time today. They turned out exactly like the ones I bought. My husband and the neighbor loved them. Oh yes I am diabetic so I used Truvia. They are marvelous. Thank you!
Hi, how many does this amount yield? Thanks! Can’t wait to try them!
Can these be made a couple of weeks ahead of time and stored in an airtight container?