Description
Delectable French Madeleines honor Julia Child’s classic approach to baking delicate shell-shaped cookies. Shell-shaped treats emerge golden and tender, inviting passionate bakers to savor classic French pastry with simple ingredients and subtle buttery charm.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter (for pan)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (125 g) sifted all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Optional: confectioners’ sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Butter Preparation: Gently melt butter using preferred method, allowing it to cool slightly while maintaining a liquid state.
- Egg Mixture: Employ electric mixer to whip eggs and sugar at high intensity for 8 minutes, creating a voluminous, pale ribbon-like texture. Infuse lemon zest and vanilla extract during final mixing moments.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl to ensure uniform distribution, then delicately fold into egg mixture using minimal intervention to preserve airy consistency.
- Butter Incorporation: Extract a portion of batter, blend seamlessly with melted butter, and reintroduce to primary mixture, achieving a glossy, uniform texture.
- Chilling Phase: Refrigerate batter for 30-60 minutes, maintaining precise timing to prevent butter solidification.
- Oven Preparation: Heat oven to 350°F (177°C). Meticulously brush madeleine pan wells with melted butter, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
- Baking Process: Portion batter into pan wells, allowing natural settlement. Bake for 10-12 minutes until tops spring back when touched, rotating pan midway for even browning.
- Finishing Touch: Immediately release madeleines from pan, transfer to cooling rack. Optionally dust with confectioners’ sugar for elegant presentation.
Notes
- Butter Melting Technique: Gently melt butter to prevent burning and maintain smooth texture, ensuring it cools slightly before mixing.
- Egg Whipping Precision: Whip eggs and sugar for exactly 8 minutes to create the signature light, airy madeleine texture that defines the classic French cookie.
- Chilling Critical Step: Refrigerate batter for 30-60 minutes to develop flavor and create the distinctive hump characteristic of authentic madeleines, but avoid over-chilling.
- Pan Preparation Perfection: Thoroughly brush madeleine pan wells with melted butter, even on nonstick surfaces, to guarantee easy release and beautiful scalloped edges.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg