Lemon Madeleines! Your favorite French tea cake cookie with perfect notes of lemon! Perfect for spring!
I’ve been wanting to make Lemon Madeleines for the longest time. These are not only my youngest daughter’s favorite baked treat but they are also her namesake. We buy them pretty much every time we pick up coffee at Starbucks and it was about time I made these at home.
“Madeleines are a French tea cake (thought of as a cookie) that are instantly recognizable with their scalloped shell shape that is ribbed on one side, and smooth, with a hump, on the other. Direct from the oven these buttery sponge cakes have wonderfully crisp edges and such a moist and tender crumb that they are best eaten right away.” A dusting of powdered sugar is all that they really need, if anything, and you can also brush the still warm Madeleines with a tangy lemon glaze or dip these babies in melted chocolate.
Now, this was my first time baking these so I tried to read up as much as possible. . I was trying to get the perfect Madeleine cookie. . I think mine came out too brown, probably from the butter I used to grease the pan and my humps were a bit too big. I followed Joy of Baking’s advice and chilled the batter for at least an hour in order to get that characteristic “hump”, but I think something went wrong. I will have to test and bake again and see. . The batter can also be covered and stored in the refrigerator for about three days, so you don’t have to make all the cookies at once.
But we still devoured every single one of these! If you have any tips you can share with me, please do!!! These are the perfect tea cake cookies for brunches, parties, get togethers and more.
And I will leave you with this very important TIP: Grease (and flour) your madeleine tin pan and set in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. This will help you easily remove the baked madeleines after baking.
I hope you enjoy!
And I’m thrilled to say that I’ll be on a jet plane headed to Miami for BlogHer Food on Thursday. . woot woot!! Follow me on Instagram if you’re interested in seeing some photos.
- non-stick baking spray to grease the pan or butter
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 eggs
- Special equipment: a madeleine pan
- Grease your madeleine tin with baking spray or butter and set in the freezer. Additionally, you can lightly dust the pan with some flour (after the butter) as well, knocking out the excess. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Preheat your oven 400 degrees F.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a small saucepan melt the butter, and stir in the sugar, honey and lemon zest. Lightly beat the eggs, and temper them into the butter mixture. Whisk into the flour mixture to make a smooth batter. Remove your tin from the freezer and pour the batter into the molds and bake until the cakes are puffed up, golden around the edges and cooked through, for 10 to 12 minutes.
Recipe from the Cooking Channel.
So great Alice! I love madeleines so much but have never had them with a lemon flavor. So easy to make and definitely on my to-make list!
hey Matt, yes, so easy and the adaptations are endless with these!
I think you did a fantastic job with these!! Madeleines are notoriously difficult. I adore them too, tried to make them once (not pretty) then never tried again. I’ll have to give them another go.
Have a great time at BlogHer!
Thank you so much, Maria!! Now my kids are requesting these weekly!
Perfection! Marcel Proust couldn’t be happier with a plate of these beauties himself. They look deliciously buttery & feathery light!
Awh, Alice, thank you so much!
They look beautiful to me and I’m sure your little Madeleine loved them!
awh, thanks Susan!! 🙂
Your madeleine’s look beautiful. I love their tan color! I went shopping the other day and saw a mini-madeleine pan. It was soo cute!! I wanted to buy it but I controlled myself. Just thought you should know (not that it’s really relevant) lol. Looking forward to finally meeting you in person in MIA! Can’t wait!
hey Connie!!! yes, I cannot wait either!! woot woot!!! see you soon!!
I always grab these are Starbucks too and considering I’ve had the pan for almost two years now since my wedding, I need to make them ASAP. Thanks for the tips included here, I never would have guessed freezing the pan will help with release. PS: Have fun in Miami!
Hi Zainab,
Freezing the pan helps to freeze the butter, or whatever you are using to grease the pan. I think that’s what helps the madeleines release and I can’t take credit for this awesome tip. . it’s from the Cooking Channel! 🙂
First off, after seeing all our social media connections and your comment on Nance’s blog today, I just had to stop on by! I love that your daughter’s namesake comes from something as sweet and nostalgic as these beautiful cookies. I’m sure I’d devour them all in a heartbeat (especially lemon–how nifty!). So glad you shared these, and again, so glad we’re connected! <3
Hi Ala! yes, so happy to have found you on Nancy’s blog and to be connected! Thank you for the sweet comment!
Alice I think these look absolutely perfect! I love when Madeleines are brown on the edges, and the hump is exactly what you’re after. Leave it to Hip Foodie Mom to nail it on her first try 😉 Pinned!
Really? Don’t you think the hump is too big though?
I had no idea that madeleines were considered little teas cakes instead of cookies. Either way, they have been on my bucket list for the longest time, and knowing me, I will surely start with a lemon version like this. Just need to get that madeleine pan and I’m in business!
Lori, I was the same way. . and I borrowed a pan but am now buying one of my own! 🙂
Mmmmmm Madeleines. Such a clasic an easy thing to do and so yummy. Very nice presented.
The bump is perfect! I love Madeleines. Sasha the Wonder Dog loved Madeleines when she was alive.
The higher the bump, the more cookie there is to eat! I’m down with that. Alice, these are beautiful and elegant and they look so delicious! I love that you made them lemon-flavoured (so vibrant and spring-y). You are going to have such an amazing time at BlogHer. I look forward to seeing all your photos and reading your recap post. Have fun, girl!
These are beautiful!!! Every time I see madeleines it takes me right back to the glorious honeymoon my wife and I enjoyed in Paris. Ah, the food memories! Hope you are having a great time at BlogHer!
Thanks so much, Chris!! Why aren’t you here?! and my husband and I also honeymooned in Paris! 🙂
Sorry to say, but this recipe did not work at all for me. It is quite different than the recipe on my madeleine pan and the batter was completely different. This batter was very thin and the batter from the pan recipe was very thick – and those madeleines turned out beautifully. This recipe failed – not at all like the photo, unfortunately.
oh no, Joanne!!! I am very sorry to hear this! I’m sure you followed all of the instructions correctly. . I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work for you!
Also, just wanted to let you know. . I created this recipe based on the recipe, noted above, from The Cooking Channel but also took from tips from here: http://www.joyofbaking.com/madeleines.html which is also noted in my blog post. . I’ve made these several times so I’m sorry to hear that the recipe didn’t work for you.