Traditional Madelines

By Maria Lichty

Updated May 16, 2019

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For our wedding, we received lots of new kitchen gadgets. Everyone was extremely generous! We can’t thank everyone enough!!

We had free time this weekend so we decided to try out some of our new toys! We started with gelato! We couldn’t wait to use our new Cuisinart Commercial Ice Cream Maker…it really is the dream machine.

We made Dorie’s Vanilla Bean and Dark Chocolate Ganache Gelato with raspberries. They were both really tasty! Sorry the picture isn’t the greatest!

I love the built in freezer in our new Cuisinart…we can make batch after batch! This could be dangerous though:) We hope everyone will come visit us this summer. We promise to have gelato, ice cream, or sorbet in the freezer!

We also made Dorie’s Traditional Madelines. I have been eyeing this recipe in her book for a long time, but didn’t have the pan…well now we have it so we gave them a try! They were fabulous! They are a cakey cookie with a hint of lemon and they are dusted with powdered sugar. Madelines are a very elegant cookie, but easy to make!

We were able to use our new Kitchenaid Mixer too! I am in love!! I love the Professional Model. We are going to be baking up a storm in our kitchen!!

Here is the Madeline recipe…you will need a Madeline pan…you can find them at Williams Sonoma, Sur la Table, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc. Go out and splurge on a new pan…these cookies are worth it!

Dorie’s Traditional Madeleines

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon ( I added more zest)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don’t worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven’s heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.

Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes 12 large or 36 mini cookies. Serve the cookies when they are only slightly warm or when they reach room temperature.

Storing: Although the batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, the madeleines should be eaten soon after they are made. You can keep them overnight in a sealed container, but they really are better on day 1. If you must store them, wrap them airtight and freeze them; they’ll keep for up to 2 months.

Note: I came out with 14 large madelines and they didn’t take very long to bake. I think I did them for 8-9 minutes…so watch them closely!

Excerpted from Baking From My Home to Yours