Vanilla Madeleines

Makes 24 Madeleines

You’ll always remember the first time you eat a moist, buttery madeleine warm out of the oven. These tiny French tea cakes make a lovely little snack that won’t ruin an appetite. They are also a great finisher after a big meal. The batter is quick and easy to prepare, bakes up in no time flat, and freezes really well. It’s also ideal for introducing all kinds of flavours-I’ve included a few suggested additions at the end of the recipe to get you started.

Ingredients:

  • 160g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 150g (¾ cup) sugar
  • 150g (2/3 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
  • 100g (½ cup) sugar
  • 120g (½ cup) water

Equipment:

You will need a 16 or 24-cavity madeleine pan. These are becoming easier to find in specialty kitchen stores and online. It’s hard to come up with an alternative pan to use as it’s the distinctive shell-like shape that makes the madeleine unique, however, a mini-muffin pan will also work.

Procedure:
 

  1. The batter will need to rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before baking. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 400˚F (205˚C). Grease and flour the madeleine pan.
  2. Mix the flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until well combined. Add the butter, vanilla, and any flavor additions (see suggestions at the end of recipe) and whisk until well combined.
  4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and whisk in the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  6. While the batter is resting, make simple syrup by placing the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  7. Using a small ice cream scoop or spoon, fill each madeleine cavity to about three-quarters full. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until they are golden around the edges. You’ll see a bump rise up in the middle of each madeleine-a sign of success!
  8. Once baked, immediately unmould the madeleines by gently tapping the pan on the counter. Dip each one in the simple syrup to coat well. Madeleines are best served warm, but may also be served at room temperature.

Storage:

  • Madeleines are best eaten the day they’re baked. The batter will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator or up to one month in the freezer.

Suggested Flavour Additions:

  • Any of the following may be added at step 2.
  • Lemon: Zest of 1 lemon; also replace the simple syrup with a mixture of ½ cup fresh lemon juice and ½ cup icing sugar.
  • Lavender: 2 tsp dried culinary-grade lavender.
  • Vanilla Rose: Seeds from 1 vanilla bean, 1 tsp rosewater.
  • Gingerbread: 1½ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves.