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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. Charles Thompson says

    January 7, 2010 at 10:47 pm

    Madeleines are little pieces of heaven. I think it's their simplicity that makes them so special and of course all that butter. Really enjoyed reading this post. I've eaten a lot of them including in France but I've never tired to make them - I think I'll give it a try. You've inspired me. Thanks, Nicole. P.S. I hope I remember to butter not spray when I do. Thanks for that tip.
    Reply
  2. faithy says

    January 8, 2010 at 1:19 am

    Your madeleines look awesome! i've been wanting to bake these since i bought my pans but have been procrastinating to do so.
    Reply
  3. mahek says

    January 8, 2010 at 3:00 am

    yummlicious!!!!
    Reply
  4. Patricia Scarpin says

    January 8, 2010 at 5:36 am

    I'm a sucker for madeleines and you have just reminded me of how long it has been since I last baked them - yours are precious, Nic! I love how delicate they look.
    Reply
  5. Ivete says

    January 8, 2010 at 7:14 am

    Oh wow those look amazing! I absolutely love madeleines and as usual your gorgeous pictures make everything look even better! I have a recipe for olive oil madeleines that I've been meaning to try . . . and you've just inspired me to dig out that pan sooner rather than later!
    Reply
  6. Valérie says

    January 8, 2010 at 9:48 am

    They are perfect, so impressive given that it's your first try (I never would have guessed)! And yes, I'm not surprised that butter won over cooking spray... I would say that madeleines are cakes, rather than cookies, because of the texture. Although I guess we would call them "petits fours" in French (rather than "biscuits")...
    Reply
  7. Stephanie says

    January 8, 2010 at 11:35 am

    I LOVE madeleines! They are so worth the effort of making them at home.
    Reply
  8. Sara says

    January 8, 2010 at 12:21 pm

    You are not the only one....I've never tasted a madeleine or a macaron either, I'm somewhat shamed to admit, not even on my one visit to Paris that lasted two whole weeks! However, your description of madeleines has convinced me that I MUST find some and eat them! Thanks for widening my horizons...
    Reply
  9. Ashley says

    January 8, 2010 at 1:25 pm

    Beautiful!!!! Can't wait to try them!! This might be sacrelig to even suggest, but would honey drizzle be delish on top? Maybe when they are day or so old?
    Reply
  10. Daily Spud says

    January 9, 2010 at 5:16 am

    Just gorgeous Nicole! You've inspired me to go looking for some madeleine pans so that I can make my own :)
    Reply
  11. Laura says

    January 9, 2010 at 6:35 am

    Time to get my pan out and try them too. I wonder whether the recipe calls for resting the batter in the fridge, I will have to check it out.
    Reply
  12. Laura says

    January 9, 2010 at 6:39 am

    I just checked and noticed that the batter is not rested in the fridge, which I have heard is essential for this recipe, any idea? Obviously this recipe worked, but I wonder why some recipes call for resting the batter.
    Reply
  13. Nicole says

    January 9, 2010 at 7:13 am

    Laura: I've read conflicting things about the batter having to rest in the fridge. Some people say it's essential, some say it's unnecessary. Just like baking powder...some recipes include it, some don't. After doing lots of research, I'm just as confused as ever :-)
    Reply
  14. Laura says

    January 10, 2010 at 8:42 pm

    Okey, we'll have to test a recipe and leave half in the fridge to test the difference. I will try the recipe my friend Miya gave me and yours as well. Cheers!
    Reply
  15. Michelle says

    January 11, 2010 at 7:33 am

    These are perfect. Thanks for the info. on greasing your pans too. I don't have the right pan for these, but I look at them all the time. When I finally do, I'll take your advice!
    Reply
  16. Rachelle @ "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" says

    January 11, 2010 at 11:38 pm

    They look beautiful! I love madeleines and have made a few batches before. Lemon lavender is probably my fave. =) The recipe I use says to let the batter sit in the fridge (overnight), it helps give them their characteristic hump. I have made them once before and not letting it sit in the fridge and they did not get much of a hump.
    Reply
  17. Jenny says

    January 12, 2010 at 3:08 am

    Are those two pans different colors? One dark and one not? Cause if that is the case, that might be your reason for one not rising as much, and sticking, more than the butter vs spray. What you might want to experiment with is making a new batch, and with each pan spraying one half and buttering the other and seeing if it is the pan that makes the difference. I have muffin pans like that and it really does make a difference. Either way, they look beautiful.
    Reply
  18. Nicole says

    January 12, 2010 at 10:39 am

    Jenny: It's hard to tell in the photo, but the pans were brand new and identical. You're right, the type of metal, as well as the finish on baking pans makes a huge difference! :-)
    Reply
  19. Wendy says

    January 16, 2010 at 5:04 pm

    That post has justified my decision to get a madeleine tin and make them for afternoon tea... you have photographed everything so beautifully, as well!
    Reply
  20. Di says

    January 18, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    Ooh, pretty. =) Now you've got me wanting to make madeleines again. It's been quite a while since I've baked any. The pans are calling me... =)
    Reply
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