Recipe: Lemon-Glazed Madeleines
If my kitchen could look like Williams-Sonoma, I’d be a happy girl. I recently received a W-S credit, and used it to buy some mini madeleine pans. Practical gal that I am, I concluded that it was only practical to make madeleines this weekend – don’t you agree?
I never made madeleines before (though I have consumed many), so I deferred to David Lebovitz’s tried and true recipe, located here. I haven’t changed it and am just adding my pictures of the process.
You will need:
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- rounded 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- zest of one small lemon
- 9 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus additional melted butter for preparing the molds
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp water
1. Brush the indentations of a madeleine mold with melted butter. Dust with flour, tap off any excess, and place in the fridge or freezer.
2. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, whip the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt for 5 minutes until frothy and thickened.
3. Spoon the flour and baking powder into a sifter or mesh strainer and use a spatula to fold in the flour as you sift it over the batter.
4. Add the lemon zest to the cooled butter, then dribble the butter into the batter, a few spoonfuls at a time, while simultaneously folding to incorporate the butter. Fold just until all the butter is incorporated.
5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Batter can be chilled for up to 12 hours.) To bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
6. Plop enough batter in the center of each indentation with enough batter to fill it by 3/4′s. Do not spread it.
7. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cakes just feel set. While the cakes are baking, make a glaze in a small mixing bowl by stirring together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water until smooth.
9. Remove from the oven and tilt the madeleines out onto a cooling rack. The moment they’re cool enough to handle, dip each cake in the glaze, turning them over to make sure both sides are coated and scrape off any excess with a dull knife. After dipping, rest each one back on the cooking rack, scalloped side up, until the cakes are cool and the glaze has firmed up.
Storage: Glazed madeleines are best left uncovered, or not tightly-wrapped; they’re best eaten the day they’re made. They can be kept in a container for up to three days after baking, if necessary. (Noshgirl note: I doubt mine will make it to Day 3. Yum.)
This basic recipe was quite straightforward and in my opinion, pretty foolproof. My next step would be to use it as a base to create other madeleine flavors.
Tell me, what type of madeleine would you like to see me make?
Yum! Love madeleines. And it looks like you have a lot of awesome baking gear
Almost as good as Williams Sonoma, minus the 5,000 square foot kitchen area!
1omg you just made me drool a little. I love WS too and those pans just have to be mine. Your blog never fails to make me want to make or try something.
2oh those are adorable–they sound so yummy as well!
3The glaze looks fantastic! I love lemon glaze on sweets!
4Um, are there a batch in the mail for me? Because otherwise this is just torture. Also, your food photography has gotten stunning in an incredibly short period of time. That first shot is a-maz-ing.
5I never cook, so usually scroll through recipe posts in my reader. But today something (the pillow-y lemon-y sunshine-y goodness?) made me stop to tell you how pretty everything looks, and that even non-bakers like me appreciate all the work that must go into these posts.
Now, if only we could work out a way for blog readers to SAMPLE the finished product!!!
6yum. i've tried to pare down on my pans over the years, and a madeleine pan seems like too much of an indulgence to me… if only i had a gigantic kitchen where i could store everything.
7Thanks, everyone!
Mrs. Hot Cocoa: I was already to mail a batch, but I got hungry. Expect an empty box with a few crumbs in it to arrive at your doorstop in the next few days. And THANKS on the photos! I'm really working to improve and figure out how to use the camera. That top photo was still rejected by FoodGawker though, wah wahhhh.
TwoWishes Tara: Thank you! That means a lot
PartyPlannnerGal & Justin: I would LOVE to have a larger kitchen that I could actually take a few steps in.
Nani, lavenderpug, megan marie – Thank you!
8I've never had madeleines because I always thought they look dry but that glaze makes them look soooo yummy. I definitely want to try these.
9I don't care what kind. Just come and make them at my place. I still am trying to get over the fear of my Kitchen Aid mixer.
10how cute. such bite sized morsels.
11Grr! I'm jealous. I totally want a madeleine pan! Haha. I can't bring myself to buy one because I'm not sure I'd use it more than twice…well, maybe I would now that i have your recipe.
12Yum!! Those are so adorable too!!
13This is awesome! I loooove Madeleines so I will be trying this soon!!
Thank you for sharing!
14Omggg, those look SO yummy!! I need some madeleine pans asap! (my husband would kill me, hehe)
15Those are so cute! And delicious-looking too.
16Yum! I've actually never made them before but I'm looking forward to giving this a shot. Williams Sonoma here I come
17You had me at "lemon-glazed." YUM! Feel free to send some down to Philly
18Simply gorgeous! You're definitely encouraging me to take the Madeline plunge!
19GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS! I love madeleines, but have never made them. These images are fantastic and inspire me!
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