Recipe: Classic French Lemon Madeleines
Even as we grow older, there’s something enticing about food that’s shaped (I may or may not still buy chocolate bunnies around Easter time…for my five-year old cousin, of course, not me…). And French Madeleines are no exception, with their classic shell shape and trademark “hump” (called “la bosse” in French). These light, fluffy French cakes are dainty and elegant, and (most importantly) delicious! In fact, they’re so airy that you might just eat the whole batch yourself (if you think I’m kidding…just be happy you still have your pre-madeleine innocence!).
This recipe isn’t difficult to make; it’s essentially a light sponge cake baked in special molds (as a side note, it’s critical that you buy the correct pan; without the shell-shaped mold, is it really a madeleine?). And the dough can even be made up to two days ahead of time (who says French pastry has to be hard?).
The main difficulty (and mark of success) with madeleines is that hump I was talking about earlier–if it doesn’t happen your first time, though, don’t worry! Those humps are finicky and rely on precise temperature; that’s why it’s so important to follow all the chilling instructions in the recipe.
In addition, I recommended checking the temperature of your oven (and perhaps adjusting the temperature minutely if there are no humps your first time). Madeleines seem to turn out best when they start in a hot oven; it helps that rapidly-rising hump and gives it those classic, lightly-browned edges. If you don’t manage a hump, though, they’ll still be delicious!
These lemon madeleines have an extra punch of flavor from brown butter and Grand Marnier. If you’ve never used brown butter before in baking, you haven’t been living life to the fullest…it’s seriously amazing and can elevate any baked good. Brown butter adds a more complex, roasted, nutty flavor to the madeleines (and makes the batter smell amazing). Grand Marnier is an orange-flavored French Cognac; it’s used in many French desserts and is lauded for it’s bitter-sweet orange taste. I highly recommend picking up a bottle (not only for this recipe, but for other uses!).
Let’s get onto the recipe:
The BEST Lemon Madeleine Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. whole milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp. honey
- zest of one lemon
- 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp. Grand Marnier (optional, but highly recommended!) You can use other orange liquer if you would like; Grand Marnier is a bit more complex and (of course) French, though 🙂
- 7 tbsp butter
- 2 eggs At room temperature
- 60 grams granulated sugar
- 120 grams AP flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- Powdered sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Butter and flour a madeleine pan and place it in the fridge (or freezer).
- First, we are going to make some brown butter–place the butter (cubed) in a saucepan and let it melt on medium-heat, stirring often. Once it starts turning an amber-brown color (and gives off a nutty smell), immediately take it off the heat and pour it into a bowl. It will start to froth before it browns; in addition, the browning process can occur very quickly, so watch the butter closely! Set aside and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until frothy and lighter in color; this should take about 3 minutes.
- Heat together the milk, lemon zest, and honey in the microwave (about 15 seconds) or on the stove-top until warm (but not hot). Pour this mixture into the whipped eggs and whisk until combined.
- Whisk in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and Grand Marnier.
- Now, add the flour mixture to the bowl, whisking until combined.
- Finish with the browned butter, whisking until a smooth, cake-batter-like mixture has formed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least two hours, or overnight, to chill–this will help the madeleines form those characteristic “humps.” This makes it an easy recipe to make-ahead; just make the batter the day before and let chill!
- After the fridge-time is completed, take out the batter and, with a spoon or piping bag, portion out the batter among the madeleine pan (which should have been chilled as well; you’ll probably want to flour it as well at this point!). Fill them about 3/4 full–they will rise quite a bit!
- Refrigerate the batter in the molds for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When ready, place the madeleines in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until browned on the edges and the centers look set (and have the “hump” hopefully!). NOTE: If they start to brown too quickly, lower the temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit; remember, all ovens are different, so it’s important to keep an eye on them! The initial hot oven helps the madeleine’s hump rise, so I would recommend letting that hump form before turning down the oven, if necessary.
- Gently take madeleines out of the pan and place on a cooling rack. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. At that point, you can have them plain or dust some powdered sugar over the tops (a lemon glaze would also work great!).
- Eat every single one and then say that they’re so light they can’t possibly have any calories, right?
Notes
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These madeleines would be perfect for an afternoon dessert party (so fancy!); to make that dessert tray complete (and extra-French), order some delicious macarons from Poeme Macarons today 🙂 The lemon macarons would be an exquisite compliment!
Until next time, happy baking everyone!
4 Comments
LaRena’s Corner
Yum! Thanks so much for sharing. You had me at lemons!
admin
Of course ☺️ Lemons are so perfect for dessert! Mmm…lemon…
Michaela @1001VoyagesGourmands
Mmm, they look delicious! I love lemon pastry!
admin
Thank you! Lemon is always a great choice for desserts, so bright and zesty 🙂