Madeleines (Lemon-Glazed)
Baked Goods · Cookies · Desserts · French
Shell-shaped little sponge cakes with a hump, flavored with lemon zest and melted butter, and dipped in a thin lemon glaze while warm.
Untested: not yet made in this kitchen. It is part of the collection’s French batch and is adapted from the source named in the Notes.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup (130 g) granulated sugar
- 1 rounded ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups (175 g) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
- Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon, for the batter
- 9 tablespoons (120 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the molds
Glaze (optional)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
Directions
Key ingredients
- Brush a madeleine mold with melted butter, dust with flour, tap out the excess, and chill it.
- Whip the eggs, sugar and salt in a stand mixer for 5 minutes, until frothy and thickened.
- Sift the flour (and baking powder, if using) over the batter while folding it in.
- Stir the zest into the cooled butter and dribble it in a few spoonfuls at a time while folding, just until incorporated.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 12.
- Heat the oven to 425 °F. Drop the batter into the center of each shell to fill about three-quarters; do not spread it.
- Bake 8–9 minutes, until just set (a minute more with baking powder; bake in the upper third for browner tops). Meanwhile stir the glaze smooth.
- Tip the madeleines onto a rack. While still warm, dip each in the glaze to coat both sides, scrape off the excess, and set them scalloped side up to firm.
Notes
Source Adapted from David Lebovitz, “Madeleines,” davidlebovitz.com, from his The Sweet Life in Paris.
On the glaze The source gives the powdered sugar as “¾ cup (150g)”, which is heavy for a cup of powdered sugar; the volume is kept here and the gram figure left out. The collection also has Lodge’s cast-iron cornmeal madeleines.
The photo The photograph shows home-baked madeleines, unglazed.