When Susan and I were recently in Paris, we tried a lot of different pastries. We wanted to try to replicate them on our return. This included Lemon Madeleines from Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann.
The French Lemon Madeleines were not only pitiful to look at, but also dry and tasteless. I was pretty sure that I could do better!
In addition to the visits to different pâtissiers, we visited my very favorite cookware shop – E.Dehillerine on Rue Coquillière in the Les Halles area. If you saw the movie Julie & Julia, you may remember a scene where Julia and friend were shopping in a cookware shop. That was E.Dehillerine.
One of my purchases from E.Dehillerine was a mini Madeleine pan. I thought would be perfect for the Lemon Madeleines. As it turned out, the mini Madeleines, were not as impressive as the regular sized ones. They were, however, delicious. In fact, the Master Taste Tester finished them off in one sitting! After making one pan of the mini’s, I used the rest of the batter with a regular sized Madeleine pan.
The recipe that I used was from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking Chez Moi. Everything that I’ve made from this wonderful cookbook has been outstanding. The Lemon Madeleines were no exception!
Ingredients for Lemon Madeleines:
I used the following ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking powder, fine sea salt, granulated sugar, lemon zest, eggs, honey, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, and whole milk.
Making the Batter for the Lemon Madeleines:
First, I whisked together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Then, I added the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl, and rubbed them together with my fingertips until the sugar was moist and fragrant.
Next, I added the eggs to the sugar/lemon mixture. I beat it on high with my electric mixer until it was pale and thick. This took about 5 minutes.
After that, I added the honey and vanilla extract, and beat the mixture until everything was well incorporated.
Then, I added the dry ingredients. I used a flexible spatula to gently fold in the dry ingredients just until they disappeared into the batter.
Finally, I added the warm melted butter, and when it was incorporated, the milk.
Finishing the Lemon Madeleines:
Before baking the Lemon Madeleines, I pressed a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter. I refrigerated it for about an hour. After an hour, I sprayed the Madeleine pan with non-stick baking spray. I used a 1-½ inch ice cream scoop to fill the molds about ¾ full with the batter.
Before baking the Madeleines, I refrigerated the filled pan for another hour. After an hour, I put a heavy baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and preheated it to 400° F. When the oven reached temperature, I removed the filled Madeleine pan from the refrigerator and placed it on the hot baking sheet. I baked the Madeleines for about 11 minutes, until the they were golden brown. According to Dorie Greenspan’s recipe, the reason for following this procedure was to mimic the heat of a baker’s hearth oven, the way that a pizza stone does. Interestingly, this procedure kept the Madeleines from over-browning.
When they were done, I removed the Lemon Madeleines from the oven. I turned them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Glazing the Lemon Madeleines
I decided to glaze some of the Lemon Madeleines with a simple lemon juice/confectioners’ sugar glaze. They were so good plain that I almost didn’t bother with the glaze. That would have been a huge mistake!
First, I whisked together some lemon juice and the confectioners’ sugar. Then, I dipped the top of the Madeleines in the glaze. I put them on a wire rack that was placed over a baking sheet.
I baked the glazed Madeleines in a preheated 500° F oven for several minutes. During this time, the glaze melted and coated the top of the Madeleines. I was amazed at the transformation of the glaze – it was shiny and non-sticky.
I actually doubled the recipe because I knew how quickly the Madeleines would disappear. With the double recipe, I ended up with 20 mini’s and 40 regular sized Lemon Madeleines. They were the best I’ve made so far. At some point, I might try the mini Madeleine pan again. I will definitely use this recipe, and will definitely go the extra step with the glaze. Rather than only glazing half of the Madeleines like I did this time, I’ll glaze all of them. Yum!
Recipe
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Lemon Madeleines
Ingredients
For the Madeleines
- ⅔ cup (3.17 ounces, 90 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or a pinch of fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup (2.36 ounces, 67 grams) granulated sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 stick 8 Tablespoons, 4 ounces, 113 grams unsalted butter, melted & still warm
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting optional
For the Glaze (Optional)
- ½ cup (2.11 ounces, 60 grams) confectioners' sugar
- About 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Making the Madeleines
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
- Working in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs, and beat on high with an electric mixer until the egg/sugar mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. When the mixture leaves tracks, beat in the honey and vanilla extract. Using a flexible spatula, fold in the dry ingredients, folding only until they disappear into the batter. Finally, fold in the warm melted butter, and when it's incorporated, the milk. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and chill for at least 1 hour. (The batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.)
- An hour or so before baking, spray the molds of a 12-shell madeleine pan with baker's non-stick spray. Spoon the batter into the molds - don't worry about spreading it evenly; the oven's heat will take care of that - and refrigerate for 1 hour more.
- When you're ready to bake, center a rack in the oven, put a large heavy baking sheet on the rack and preheat the oven to 400° F. Place the madeleine pan on the hot baking sheet and bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and the big bumps on their tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow the madeleines to cool to room temperature. If not glazing, dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.
Glazing the Madeleines
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 500° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and put a cooling rack on it.
- Put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl that's large enough to allow you to dip the madeleines into the glaze. Whisk in the lemon juice a little at a time until the glaze is about as thick as heavy cream.
- One by one, dip (don't soak) the bump side of each madeleine in the glaze and put them bump side up on the cooling rack. Slide them into the oven, close the door and stay put: It takes 1 to 3 minutes for the glaze to melt and coat the madeleines, and you want to be there to pull them out of the oven at the first sign of a bubble in the glaze. Remove from the oven and transfer the madeleines to another cooling rack. Cool completely. Yield: About 1-½ dozen Lemon Madeleines.
Calvin says
The mixing technique used to make these Lemon Madeleines is essentially the same as that for genoise cakes. Years ago I visited a website hosted by a Frenchman (I don’t have the link anymore), and he said Madeleines are best made with softened butter, not melted. Have you ever experimented with softened butter when making Madeleines? I’m sure these Lemon Madeleines are amazing regardless. Love your website and the way you approach recipes with common sense, science, and DISCERNMENT.
Chula King says
Calvin,
I’ve only used melted butter when making the Madeleines. I’m glad that you like my website!
Chula