Here it is! A classic Madeleine recipe that recalls the experience we recently had in Paris—simplicity at its very best. The joy of madeleines goes beyond merely tasting good, and is rooted in their unique structure. The shell shape ensures a pleasantly crisp, browned top (or base, considering the pan), which gives way to a dense, soft, domed cake. (Dense in a good way—like a cake doughnut.) This dichotomy is what I find addicting about them; each bite has a different, rewarding ratio of crisp:soft.
Flavor-wise, they are pretty subtle, and it’s after the initial dramatic textural impression that the butter and vanilla really come through. Joining browned butter with vanilla bean creates a uniquely delicious flavor—and then the rum sends it over the top.
Of course, adding spices or citrus zest would be delicious. But honestly, if I want those flavors I’d just make muffins! The classic flavor is really not wanting for anything, and keeping the Madeleine straightforward preserves its magic.
Classic Madeleines
Yields 20
Ingredients
200 g unsalted butter
1/2 vanilla bean pod
1-1/2 (heaping) cup (200 g) all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 cup (60 g) milk, left at room temp for 1 hr
1-1/2 T (30 g) honey
1 t vanilla
2 T dark rum
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup + 2 T (130 g) sugar
Begin with browning the butter: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and let cook until it’s bubbling at a leisurely pace, smells nutty, and when swirled, bubbles give way to a golden-brown hued melted butter underneath. Once the desired shade of brown is achieved, immediately pour into a small heat-proof bowl to let cool, scraping the brown bits on the bottom of the pan if desired (the milk solids, lots of flavor!). Add the scraped vanilla bean seeds, followed by the entire pod, to the hot browned butter and stir around a bit so that the seeds will disperse. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, honey, vanilla, and rum. Set both aside.
In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until thick and opaque (can use stand mixer for this step); mixture will be ready when it drips off of a lifted whisk and forms a “ribbon” atop the rest of the mixture.
Fold the dry ingredients into the egg/sugar mixture, careful not to over-mix. Next fold in the wet ingredients, careful not to over-mix. Finally, pour in the browned butter (discard vanilla bean), and gently fold into the batter.
Transfer to large Tupperware container or tightly cover the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to bake: preheat the oven to 400 F and generously butter the shells of a Madeleine pan. Scoop 2 tablespoon of the cold batter into each shell (don’t want to overfill!), and bake for 5 minutes before turning the oven back to 375 F. Continue baking for about 12 more minutes, or until the top of the Madeleines are just firm to the touch (they will still be quite pale), and the edges are darkened.
One more note—madeleines are most definitely at their best for just a few short hours after baking. Just glaze any leftovers if you’d like to counteract this.
Whisk together about 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar and the juice from 1/2 a lemon (or 2 T maple syrup + 1 T water)! Add more powdered sugar or liquid if needed—you want it to be thick enough to dry and set nicely, and not just be absorbed and then run off!
