Classic French Vanilla Madeleines

I remember hosting a tea party for my close friends and wanted to make a tea cake, but then I also wanted something unique and comparatively small in size.

Something that is super soft, classic and gives you the feel of tea cake. That’s when I came across these divine Madeleines, delicate little butter cake that once you eat them, you won’t stop at just one.

Well, you will instantly recognise these French goodness, as they have a beautiful and distinct scalloped shell shape and need nothing more than a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar on top.

Though, these classic Madeleines also tastes incredibly amazing when dipped in melted dark chocolate.

You will need all the basic ingredients to make these delicious Madeleines and even if they are very easy to make, you need to get the measurement of ingredients right for that perfect super soft texture.

You also have to carefully monitor the Madeleines while they bake in the oven.

So get your Madeleine pan ready and make these absolutely delicious Madeleines, which can be served with you evening tea or coffee, for tea parties or for dessert after your meals and also makes for a perfect Christmas or New Year gift.

Here is the recipe of classic Madeleines.

Also if you are a ‘FRIENDS’ fan, you will definitely remember this, “Ross: Oh really? Did she tell you he plays the recorder, recites poetry, and bakes madeleines? Monica: Ohhhh how are they? Ross: Lighter than air… but that’s not the point!”

What are Madeleines?

Madeleines are super soft and moist delicate butter cakes which are made of basic ingredients such as butter, eggs, all purpose flour, sugar, vanilla extract and confectioners sugar to dust on top.

These are easy to make, but you need to get the consistency and ingredients right to make these super soft and moist butter cakes.

You can also add lemon zest in the batter, as it gives these classic Madeleines an incredible flavour.

To make these scalloped shell shaped Madeleines, you will need a Madeleine pan, as it will give you that perfect shape and the iconic crisp edges.

Well, if you don’t have one, you can also make these Madeleine cookies in a mini muffin pan, but the texture will be a little different.

Why are they called Madeleines?

It is said that a girl name “Madeleine” was given these cake like cookies during her pilgrimage and she liked it so much that she brought back the recipe to France with her.

Since then, these little cake like cookies are named after her.

How to store Madeleines?

These are super soft and moist, and tend to get dry rather fast. So I recommend you to eat them within a few hours after they are ready.

But if you still have some leftover Madeleines, store them in an air tight container for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Bring them to room temperature, when you want to eat them again.

Can you freeze Madeleines?

You can freeze them in an air tight container for about 2 to 3 weeks. The crunch that they have will slowly fade, therefore make sure you enjoy them right after you bake it.

How to serve Madeleines?

You can serve these classic Madeleines along with your Tea or Coffee for you evening tea or breakfast.

You can even serve them as it is or dip them in melted Dark Chocolate or Nutella and serve it for your desserts.