French Butter Cakes (Madeleines)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter and flour 12 (3 inch) madeleine molds; set aside.
2. Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.
3. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.
4. Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition.
6. Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.
7. Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
8. Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.
9. Variation: Chocolate Madeleines: Omit lemon zest. Increase sugar to 1/2 cup. Substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the flour; sift into batter with flour.

Share It

Reviews (100)

Your Rating:

277

simon

Aug. 26, 2007

"Easy and precise. For those who have similar questions like me. You need a madeleines pan. I got mine at Bed bath and beyond. I used muffins pan earlier and it was a disaster. If you wonder whether ..." See morebaking powder is needed like in other recipe, and the answer is no. Make sure the eggs mix is thick before you fold in flour and butter, it took about 10 minutes at high speed."

200

Iolanthe

Apr. 4, 2008

"I am a real beginner, but I had no trouble with this recipe at all. The hard part, actually, was selecting a madeleine pan - there were many different ones to choose from at the cooking supply store, ..." See morefrom $10.00 - $79.00, depending on size and material. I bought the $10.00 metal one (which makes one dozen 3" madeleines), and it worked absolutely fine. So no need to spend a fortune to get good results."

157

fyrcrakr

Apr. 7, 2008

"These were superb, and I have to disagree with the reviewer who said a good Madeleine should be dense and buttery (like the ones from Starbucks). Have you ever had a REAL French Madeleine? They're lig..." See morehter than air. Starbucks serves very nice molded pound cakes, NOT Madeleines. "