The MADELEINES are delightful and soft little cakes from the international pastry tradition, born in a small village in the north-east of France, Commercy, but now they have become a cornerstone of this country’s pastry. They are simple to make, as you will discover, provided you follow the recipe carefully, and homemade ones show an extraordinary deliciousness, very different from packaged products found in stores. I rediscovered them on a trip to Paris and, I assure you, I fell in love with them.
The feature that most distinguishes these cakes (larger or smaller depending on your choice) is surely the boat-like shape, with ridges similar to a shell. For this reason it will be necessary to buy a special madeleine mold, easily found in specialty stores or on Amazon, at very affordable prices. But here the difficulties end: the ingredients, as you will see, are few and simple and the preparation is quick and easy.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 34 mini madeleines
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: French
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 23.57 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 2.62 (g) of which sugars 1.58 (g)
- Proteins 0.36 (g)
- Fat 1.36 (g) of which saturated 0.86 (g)of which unsaturated 0.50 (g)
- Fibers 0.04 (g)
- Sodium 13.58 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 5 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 egg (medium)
- 3.5 tbsp butter (melted and cooled (about 1.8 oz))
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- lemon zest (unwaxed (untreated) lemon)
- 3/8 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Mold for madeleines
- 1 Bowl
- Electric beaters
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Sifter
Steps
First, to prepare the MADELEINES melt the butter in the microwave or in a double boiler and let it cool.
In a bowl place the egg, the grated zest of half a lemon, the salt and the sugar. Beat everything with electric beaters until you obtain a pale and frothy mixture.
Add the sifted flour and baking powder and gently combine them with a spatula.
Then add the melted butter and incorporate it well.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
After the 2 hours, take the batter out of the fridge and, using a teaspoon, fill the madeleine molds almost to the top. As a precaution I lightly buttered the silicone mold but this is not strictly necessary.
Place in the fridge for another 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 356°F (conventional). Bake your madeleines for 10 minutes.
They should come out golden on the surface. Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before unmolding.
TIPS AND STORAGE
I used a silicone mold for small madeleines; if you have a mold for larger ones, bake them for at least 12 minutes.
You can store them in an airtight container for several days.
You can store them in an airtight container for several days.
