Active time: 20 min | Chill time: 1 hour | Bake time: 10 min
Total Time: 1 hour 30 min
Serving size: 24
Ingredients
3 large eggs (room temperature)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter + extra for greasing trays
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup flour (you can use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour as a substitute and leave out the baking powder)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 medium lemon
1 tbsp powdered sugar
Equipment
To properly make madeleines, you do need to invest in a madeleine tray. Here is one option, but there are many to chose from.
Recipe
Grease the inside of each cavity with a generous amount of butter.
Use 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter to make brown butter / beurre noisette (see instructions on making brown butter).
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
Whisk the eggs until slightly frothy, then add sugar and whisk until light in color and silky in texture, near the end add the vanilla (6-7 minutes using standing mixer, 8-9 minutes using hand mixer).
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the batter until just incorporated.
Add the lemon zest to the cooled brown butter.
Drizzle the butter into the batter a spoonful at a time and fold until just combined.
Cover the bowl and chill both the bowl and baking tins for at least 1 hour.
When you are ready to bake the madeleines, preheat your over to 425F.
Put about a tablespoon of batter in the center of each of the Madeline cavities on the tray. It will only look about 3/4 full. Do not spread it.
Bake for 8-9 minutes, until the madeleines look golden brown and just set.
Once slightly cooled, sift the powdered sugar over the madeleines so they are lightly dusted.
Troubleshooting
It's ok if they don't have the famous madeleine hump: Your Madelines will still taste great even if you didn't get the hump this time.
Measure your flour correctly: Madeleines can turn out very dense if there is too much flour. Read our article on how to properly measure out your ingredients to ensure you are using the right amount of flour.
Loosen the cakes with a knife if they are sticking to the pan: If you didn't get very nook and cranny with butter, your madeleines might stick to the pan. If that happens, you can use a paring knife to pop them out.