hazelnut madeleines

Feeling fancy? Create a little bit of France in your own kitchen with these lovely, easy pastries. Small sponge cakes baked in special shell-shaped baking tins, madeleines will really dress us your holiday buffet or brunch table. (Or your desk on your coffee break.)

Are you wondering who Madeleine was? Nobody knows, but this cake appeared in western Europe in the late 1700s and is popular today, in various incarnations, in France, Spain, Britain and Poland.

We used toasted and finely chopped hazelnuts, but you can substitute almonds, pecans or even macademia nuts and achieve a tasty result. Be sure not to overbake - the delicate genoise sponge cakes dry out quickly!

Properly baked, the cakes will have a small "belly" on the non-shaped side. If you overfill the tins and the cakes spill over the tops of the pan, you can trim the edges with a pair of clean scissors.

This recipe makes about 24 standard size madeleines.

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 ingredients & special equipment

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup finely chopped or ground nuts + additional 1/4 cup for garnishing
• 3 ounces chocolate for melting for dipping and/or drizzling

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instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two madeleine pans with cooking spray and place on parchment lined baking sheets. (You can reuse one pan after letting it cool and respraying.)
2. Combine eggs and sugar in your mixer, fitted with SideSwipe, and mix on medium speed until foamy.
3. Add the flour and baking soda. Mix on low until combined.
4. Add melted butter and vanilla. Mix on low until combined.
5. Mix or fold in the chopped nuts.
6. Spoon or pipe the batter into the molds, filling the cavities about 3/4 of the way. 
7. Smack the pan on the counter once or twice to force any air bubbles to the top. (We forgot to do this - see in our photos that there are little holes. We decided they were cute.)
8. Bake on cookie sheet 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway through for even cooking and browning. Mads are done when the center puffs up a bit and the edges are just beginning to turn a golden brown.
9. Allow mads to cool in the pans for a few minutes. Remove to a rack to cool completely. 
10. Drizzle or dip with melted chocolate* and chopped nuts if desired. (*Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in a small, deep bowl. Use 50 percent power for 1 minute, then in 20 second intervals until melted).
11. Mads are best served the same day, To keep them moist, store for up to 3 days in a sealed container. Allow any chocolate decoration to dry before putting away.

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buying information

There are a number of shapes, materials and sizes for madeleine pans. We used a traditional size and shape pan with a non-stick coating. You may also keep an eye out at second-hand shops, as it's frequently a rarely used baking pan and takes up space. If you're interested in the pan we used, you can click on the image below and be transferred to Amazon.
​ If you order this pan after transferring, we will receive a small referral fee.