Brown Butter Madeleines
In defense of adding a single-purpose madeleine tin to our overflowing Brooklyn apartment
Hello, friends! Today, I’m sharing a recipe for brown butter madeleines, my latest baking fixation. They’re plush and lemon-scented, with a toasty, caramelized flavor from the brown butter. I hope you like them! Thank you for being here. x
The History of My Madeleine Tin
I’d long wanted to purchase a madeleine tin (So romantic! So French!), but I knew it was impractical. To state the obvious, it’s a single-purpose item. Plus: I share a small two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn with my boyfriend and our friends (another couple), and our kitchen was already overflowing with cooking utensils — mostly mine. We could barely fit the food processor and stand mixer, so acquiring a madeleine tin seemed like a bad idea.
Spoiler: I bought a madeleine tin anyway.
Perhaps it’s forgivable because I bought it from a small business (Tarzian West in Park Slope), or because the weather was terrible that day — wet, gray, and unnervingly warm. I needed a pick-me-up in the form of just-baked madeleines.
But really it was a moment of weakness, spurred on by
’s irresistible photos from the south of France. She was visiting La Gonette, an artists’ retreat in Provence, which I happened to be aware of because of the brilliant , whom I met in a kitchen in Italy a couple years back (more on that weekend here). Harriet is a writer, chef, and all-around creative, and was cooking at La Gonette when Ruth visited. What a dream to be there with both of them, eating pissaladière and cherries and cheese.Anyway, when Ruth shared a photo on Instagram of Harriet with a plate of madeleines, I was done for. I needed a madeleine tin.
Though I’ve only owned it for two months, I’ve already used it thrice, which feels like a pretty good ratio for a single-purpose tool. And now, on to the best part: the recipe.
Brown Butter Madeleines
Adapted from ’s recipe
Sometimes I prefer my madeleines unglazed and austere, especially with morning coffee, when they provide the same simple pleasure as an old-fashioned donut. For dessert, though, a light lemon glaze adds just the right brightness and luster. Madeleines are best enjoyed the day they’re baked, but they’ll keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Makes 16 standard-sized madeleines
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (113 g) salted butter, plus extra for greasing the tin
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room-temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Generously butter each shell of your madeleine tin, dust with flour, and tap off any excess. Place the tin in the freezer while you make the batter.
In a saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until the butter foams and turns golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. It should smell nutty and fabulous. Immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.
In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the lemon zest with the sugar. Rub them together with your fingertips until the sugar is pale yellow and fragrant.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the lemon sugar. Whisk vigorously until pale and thick, about 2-3 minutes.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well-combined and lump-free. The batter will be thick!
Drizzle in the cooled brown butter in 2-3 stages, folding gently each time until incorporated.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When you’re almost ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spoon the batter into the prepared madeleine tin (about 1 tablespoon per shell). It won’t look like enough batter per shell, but trust the process! Once it bakes, the thick batter will melt into the shell.
When the oven is preheated, bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then gently remove to a wire rack.
If desired, use a pastry brush to adorn the warm madeleines with lemon glaze (recipe below).
Lemon Glaze
Optional but nice!
Ingredients
¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
While the madeleines are cooling, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice until smooth and pourable.
Lightly glazed madeleines
One last thought: I think I might also be fond of madeleines because they remind me of the Madeline books, which I loved as a little girl and still love today.
Thank you for reading!
More soon,
Phoebe
Anything that’s adorned gets my attention. I have my mother’s Madeline pan and love making them! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Love the Madeline/madeleine connection in this post. Going to email you a wonderful article about the role of food in children's literature by Linda Sue Park in The Horn Book Magazine. Enjoy!