If there’s any snack that you can bake at home that makes you feel like you’re running a pâtisserie, it’s the elegant madeleine that’ll do it. I love their shell shape and after taking a semester of a college course that had Proust on the syllabus, I have become very fond of them. They’re little sponge cakes that are oh-so tender and buttery, and they are perfect with your morning coffee. Any French dessert intimidates me, but do not fret about these madeleines! I have a lot of tips and recommendations that’ll make you want to dive into your kitchen and make these ASAP.
First and foremost, let’s start with flavor. You could probably write a whole book dedicated to madeleines because there are limitless flavor combinations you could try. While a plain vanilla bean madeleine with a dusting of powdered sugar is the classic, you can go for a chocolate glaze, a strawberry cake base, and anything your heart desires. I was toying around with the idea of lychee because I have a soft spot for all things tropical.
In my first trial, I tried a lychee puree using canned lychees and it came out too sweet. Using more of it would have also compromised the texture of the baked madeleines. It can also be difficult to find fresh lychees when they’re not in season. While I was hesitant to try an extract because it can come off super artificial-tasting, I loved the Butterfly brand (which is also my go-to brand for ube extract) for its potent lychee flavor.
As for the glaze, the hibiscus tea steeped in lychee juice adds flavor and a light pink color that makes your madeleines even prettier. When you dip them at an angle, you get a nice glazed side that doesn’t overpower the cake base with a rush of sugar. The dried rose petals on top make them feel extra fancy, but also complement the subtle floral notes of fresh lychee.
For the batter, my two biggest tips are browning butter and letting your batter rest in the fridge overnight. Browning butter contributes another level of toasty flavor that really enhances the overall taste of the madeleines. As for chilling your batter, the science behind how madeleines get that distinctive hump is fascinating. According to Cravings of a Food Scientist, “As the starch hydrates, it also helps to relax the dough by disrupting the gluten networks. Chilling also creates a larger temperature difference between the dough and the air in the oven, which helps the batter rise.” It’s that difference in temperature between the cold batter and the hot oven that results in a burst of steam for the madeleines’ humps to form. *Mind blown!*
If you’re wondering what kind of pan you should use I have my individual preference for this USA madeleine pan. It has a hefty weight and I found that the madeleines baked rather evenly in them. They’re also truly nonstick! I only had to do a light brush of butter before scooping the batter into the molds, and they came off seamlessly.
Last but not least, when you’re cooling the madeleines, make sure they’re shell side up because you’ll notice small impressions from your cooling rack if you don’t (zoom in on my photos and you’ll see that I made that error!). Otherwise, you’re all set for madeleine-making success! Godspeed!
Lychee Madeleines with a Hibiscus Tea Glaze & Dried Rose Petals
Ingredients
For the Madeleines:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon lychee extract
For the Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup lychee juice
- 1 hibiscus tea bag
- Dried rose petals, for garnish
Instructions
For the Glaze:
- In a small saucepan, heat lychee juice over medium-high heat and once it reaches a boil, steep with a hibiscus tea bag. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Combine powdered sugar and 3-4 tablespoons of the lychee juice tea. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
For the Madeleines:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and mix with a rubber spatula until it has a deep brown color, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a small bowl to stop cooking; set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until thickened and pale yellow in color, about 8 minutes. Add lychee extract. Using a spatula, sift flour mixture and gently fold into egg mixture in three additions.
- Take about 1/2 cup of the batter and mix it into the cooled melted butter until thoroughly mixed.
- Mix this tempered butter mixture into the rest of the batter, folding it in until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter cavities of the madeleine pan. Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon batter into each cavity. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Immediately transfer madeleines to a cooling grid, shell side up. Cool completely. Glaze each side and then top with rose petals.
