Lemon Madeleines Recipe
Delicate lemon madeleines with a buttery crumb and golden shell shape. These classic French tea cakes are simple to make and perfect for teatime or dessert.
Servings: 20 servings
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (optional) or orange zest
Instructions
Preparing the Pan
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190 °C) and coat your madeleine pan with baking spray with flour, or whisk together 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 ½ teaspoons flour. With a pastry brush, lightly coat the pan, ensuring that crevices are coated.
Madeleines
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugars, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.
- Sift the flour into the wet ingredients, about ⅓ at a time, gently stirring or folding it into the egg mixture after each addition.
- Drizzle the cooled, melted butter around the edge of the along with the zest. Using a spatula, gently fold the butter and zest into the batter until completely combined, but do be careful not to overmix
- Drop heaping tablespoon size batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the center rack of the oven until light and golden in color, about 9 minutes. The madeleines should spring back when lightly touched. Transfer to a cooling rack immediately. If using your pan to bake another batch, allow the pan to cool completely.
- Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Preparing the pan: Be sure to generously butter and flour the pan to prevent sticking.
- Chilling the batter: Chilling the batter is traditional and can help encourage the classic madeleine rise, but this recipe also bakes up beautifully without chilling if you’d like to keep things simple.
- Baking time: Madeleines bake quickly — remove them as soon as the edges turn golden.
- Storing: These are best enjoyed the day they’re baked, when the edges are lightly crisp, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Serving: A light dusting of powdered sugar is optional but lovely for presentation.