Description
Classic French Lemon Madeleines with a delicate texture and refreshing citrus flavor, perfect for pairing with coffee or tea. These buttery, tender shell-shaped cakes are lightly dusted with powdered sugar and best enjoyed the day they are made.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter Mixture
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
Dry Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- zest of 1 large lemon
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Finishing
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Melt the butter: Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat until fully melted. Set aside to cool until it is warm but not hot to the touch.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Add lemon zest: Stir the lemon zest into the dry ingredients until evenly distributed.
- Beat eggs: In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs until smooth and slightly frothy.
- Combine eggs and vanilla: Add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Gently fold together just until mostly combined; a few small patches of flour remaining are fine.
- Add butter gradually: Pour the warm melted butter in three stages into the batter, folding gently after each addition until the batter is thick, shiny, and fully incorporated.
- Chill the batter: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the batter to thicken and the flavors to meld.
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously brush each madeleine mold with melted butter or oil, especially if your pan isn’t non-stick.
- Fill madeleine molds: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into each mold, filling each about 2/3 to 3/4 full. You should get exactly 16 madeleines.
- Bake: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the madeleines have risen in the center and the edges turn golden brown.
- Remove and cool: Remove from the oven and quickly loosen the madeleines from the pan using a fork or small butter knife. Transfer them immediately to a cooling rack to prevent sticking.
- Serve: Dust the warm madeleines with powdered sugar and enjoy. They are best eaten the same day.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon zest for the best citrus flavor.
- Chilling the batter is essential for the classic madeleine hump and texture.
- Make sure to grease the pan thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Madeleines are delicate and best enjoyed fresh; they can be stored in an airtight container for up to one day.
- If you don’t have a madeleine pan, you can try using a similarly shaped small muffin pan, but texture and shape will vary.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 madeleine
- Calories: 93 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 28 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
