Description
These Classic Glazed Lemon Madeleines are light, buttery, and delicately flavored with fresh lemon zest. Their signature shell shape and soft, sponge-like texture make them the perfect elegant treat for any occasion. A dusting of powdered sugar or a sweet lemon glaze adds the perfect finishing touch!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Madeleines:
- 2/3 cup (90g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fleur de sel or fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
- 2 Tbsp (1 oz) whole milk
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
For the Glaze (Optional):
- 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Making the Madeleines
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, rub sugar and lemon zest together with fingertips until fragrant. Add eggs and beat on high with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes until thick and pale.
- Mix in honey and vanilla extract.
- Gently fold in dry ingredients with a spatula until just combined. Fold in melted butter and milk until fully incorporated.
- Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the batter and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Grease a 16-shell madeleine pan with baking spray. Use a 1 ½-inch cookie scoop to evenly divide the batter among the molds. Refrigerate for another hour.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a heavy baking sheet in the oven while preheating.
- Place the madeleine pan on the hot baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes, until golden and springy.
- Immediately tap the pan on the counter to release the madeleines. Transfer them to a cooling rack. If not glazing, dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Glazing the Madeleines
- Preheat oven to 500°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top.
- In a bowl, whisk confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice together until smooth.
- Dip the bump side of each madeleine into the glaze and place bump-side up on the cooling rack.
- Bake for 1-3 minutes, watching carefully. Remove at the first sign of bubbling. Let cool completely.
Notes
- Chilling the batter helps develop the characteristic hump of madeleines.
- If you don’t have fleur de sel, fine sea salt works well.
- For a richer flavor, substitute brown butter for melted butter.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 madeleine
- Calories: 56
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 25mg