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My First Madeleines

January 7, 2010 by Nicole 53 Comments

Madeleines on Plate

I have a confession to make.  Before making them myself, the only madeleines I had ever tasted were from Starbucks.  No one had ever made them for me, I’d never had a special pan to make them myself, and somehow I managed to spend a weekend in Paris once without tasting either a madeleine or a macaron—sad, but true.

I’ve always been curious about madeleines.  I mean, is there really anything special about them other than their shape?  Obviously Proust thought so.  But what makes them so magical?  And the big question—are they cookies or tiny little cakes?  Well, curiosity got the better of me one day so I bought a little package of madeleines at Starbucks.  And even though I knew that what I tasted out of that little plastic package was probably not a great representation of the classic French cookie (or is it cake?), I fell madly in love with the madeleine.

So now I can tell you why madeleines are such a big deal:  butter.  Oh, and let’s not forget the lemon.  Have I ever mentioned that butter and lemon are pretty much my two favorite flavors?  Madeleines can also be flavored with orange, and I’m sure that orange-scented madeleines are wonderful, but it’s definitely the butter and lemon that sold me.  And if you ask me, they are miniature cakes, not cookies—little lemon butter cakes from heaven.

I knew I had to get my hands on some special equipment so that I could try making the little scalloped cakes myself, so I ordered a couple of madeleine pans from Amazon.  After they arrived, I let the gorgeous shiny things sit on the counter for a few weeks—promising myself daily that I would make madeleines soon—but eventually I tucked the pans away in a kitchen cabinet where I promptly forgot about them.  That was a few months ago.  Well, a new year is upon us and I’ve decided to start crossing some things off my baking to-do list.

There are tons of recipes floating around for madeleines, but I settled on one I remembered seeing at 101 Cookbooks a couple of years back.  Heidi’s photos always draw me in, and somehow I knew I could trust the recipe.  I followed the recipe to the letter, taking special care to thoroughly coat my madeleine pan with butter to ensure an easy release.

Buttered Madeleine Pan

However, Heidi mentions in the recipe that although she uses butter and flour on her pans, the friend who taught her how to make madeleines uses cooking spray with flour.  Since I had two pans, I decided to experiment.  I thoroughly buttered and floured the first pan, but sprayed the second with Baker’s Joy—a nonstick baking spray that contains flour.  I knew in my heart that the buttered and floured pan would work better, but curiosity won out over gut instinct in this case.

Butter vs. Cooking Spray

Filling the pans with batter was a little intimidating.  I had read that the batter spreads in the oven, and not to overfill the molds, but I had a hard time judging whether they were 2/3 – 3/4 full (as the recipe instructed).  My method of transferring some of the batter to a measuring cup and trying to pour it into the mold didn’t work out so well for me.  Next time I’ll probably just spoon it in, or pipe it in using a bag.

Madeleine Batter

But it turns out I had no reason to worry about whether they were filled properly.  The batter spread evenly and a beautiful batch of madeleines emerged from the oven.

Baked Madeleines

The pan pictured above was the one that was buttered and floured, not coated in baking spray.  It turns out that there was a pretty big difference between the two.

Butter vs. Cooking Spray:  The Result

The madeleines in the pan coated with Baker’s Joy (on the right) didn’t rise like their butter-coated siblings.  And though they all released from the pan without too much effort, the butter-coated ones were much easier to pop out.  All in all, the butter-coated madeleines had a better shape, better color, and released from the pan better than the other ones.  From now on, I will use nothing but butter to grease my madeleine pans and I suggest you do the same.

Madeleines Out of the Oven

The little cakes are best eaten on the first day while the edges are still crisp, so I suggest inviting a few friends over the day you decide to make them.  But if you do have leftovers, they are perfectly fine the next day—especially dunked in your morning coffee.

Madeleines Dusted with Powdered Sugar

If you’d like to try this recipe for buttery, lemon-scented madeleines, head over to 101 Cookbooks and let Heidi show you how.  I ended up with exactly 24 regular-sized madeleines using her recipe.

Related Recipes:

  • Lemon Shortbread
  • Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies
  • Quick and Easy Lemon Cake

Around the Web:

  • Madeleines from 101 Cookbooks
  • Lemon-Glazed Madeleines from David Lebovitz
  • Orange-Scented Madeleines from Mark Bittman
  • Meyer Lemon Madeleines from Alpineberry
  • Classic Madeleines from Smitten Kitchen

Filed Under: Adventures in Baking, Cookies, Desserts, Holiday

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maria says

    January 7, 2010 at 10:41 am

    They look perfect. So pretty to serve with a cup of tea.
    Reply
  2. sarah @ syrupandhoney says

    January 7, 2010 at 11:00 am

    I've been wanting to make madeleines too, so this was very information! I also always have success with Heidi's recipes.
    Reply
  3. My Year on the Grill says

    January 7, 2010 at 11:35 am

    Oh... great post, VERY well written, and I am in love with your photo skills
    Reply
  4. Krystal says

    January 7, 2010 at 11:38 am

    Wow...these look beautiful. It's so true about what they say about butter...it's makes everything better!
    Reply
  5. amanda says

    January 7, 2010 at 12:02 pm

    mmmmm. little scalloped lemony cakes from the heavens is right! the only thing WRONG with these was the fact they they were served to me directly after i had eated a quarter of your rich luscious quiche and before i would chow down on pulled pork sandwiches, beans and greens! i'm pretty much trying to say there was nothing wrong with them!... just with my excessive eating that day. :-)
    Reply
  6. Leesa says

    January 7, 2010 at 12:11 pm

    Hey there San Diego!! I have been checking your blog since last year I think and I think this may be one of the few if at all times I've left a comment-- Such a lurker, I am!! Anyhow... I have been in France for over 3 years now and I haven't made a single Madeline-- and this post just inspired me to give it a go. I DID make choc. mads when I lived in San Diego-- but about 6 or 7 years ago... and they were yummy! Thanks for your tips about greasing and comparing the non-stick vs. the other pan.. Very helpful! I will go out and buys some moules à madeleine.... Thanks again and I really do LOVE your blog! Take care, Leesa
    Reply
  7. amy says

    January 7, 2010 at 12:41 pm

    those madeleines look so delectable! love that it has a citrus taste:)
    Reply
  8. Alta says

    January 7, 2010 at 1:06 pm

    Gorgeous photos! These look delicious.
    Reply
  9. pam says

    January 7, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    I finally got around to buying some pans a couple of months ago, but haven't gotten around to actually using them. Yours sure are pretty!
    Reply
  10. Katy says

    January 7, 2010 at 1:26 pm

    They are beautiful. I have often pondered the nature of madeleines and am thrilled to see your investigation. I am inspired.
    Reply
  11. Jennifer S says

    January 7, 2010 at 3:15 pm

    These look amazing! I've been wanting to make them for a while but haven't had the extra cash to buy a madeline pan. Now I want one more than ever. Congratulations on your delicious-looking treats!
    Reply
  12. Jill says

    January 7, 2010 at 4:44 pm

    I recently added your blog to my feed reader, and I'm really enjoying your posts. I love your photos and your writing style.
    Reply
  13. GF PATISSERIE says

    January 7, 2010 at 4:52 pm

    Beautiful. Great pictures. Next: Macarons.
    Reply
  14. The Teacher Cooks says

    January 7, 2010 at 5:00 pm

    These are really beautiful! You are killing me though. I cannot keep buying new equipment. First it was the individual cheesecake pan now this! By the way the pumkin cheesecakes were a hit for Thanksgiving!
    Reply
  15. Madeleine @ Notes On A Page says

    January 7, 2010 at 5:03 pm

    I love madeleines. They are definitely little cakes -- perfect with tea. My mother always used to make homemade ones for me because of my name. So glad you finally tried the real thing!
    Reply
  16. cheffresco says

    January 7, 2010 at 5:09 pm

    Oh wow! I've never actually had madeleines before - yours look like they turned out so perfectly! i love 100 cookbooks too :)
    Reply
  17. Georgia@GeorgiaPellegrini.com says

    January 7, 2010 at 6:23 pm

    Impressive! These are a lot harder than they look. I remember in culinary school they used to make us do them over and over again and they were hard to get truly right.
    Reply
  18. Cristie says

    January 7, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    I love these little cakes, but never tried to make them. Yours are beautiful. I love everything about your blog!
    Reply
  19. linda says

    January 7, 2010 at 7:03 pm

    have been reading your blog for some time now...lovely site... very enjoyable. i have baked your spaghetti squash gratin (yum! & have given the recipe to many friends)...your apple cin buttermilk cake is pretty terrific as well...i am going to try your apple galette this weekend. nicole, thank you for the butter vs spray tip...i am going to use this "lesson" on my madeleines from now on...do you think it holds true for mini muffins as well? next time you have the wonderful opportunity to go to paris...laduree is fabulous! http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/maisons/champs_accueil.htm all the best in 2010!
    Reply
  20. Dominic says

    January 7, 2010 at 10:00 pm

    These look AMAZING. I had some delicious Madeleines at a French bakery here in Pittsburgh. If these were Pittsburghian, I can't imagine how good a real French one is! Nom!
    Reply
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