Daniel Boulud's Madeleines

From the kitchen of Carly

Light, buttery cakes with a tender crumb and bright citrus notes, baked in those iconic shell-shaped molds. Boulud's version uses honey and brown sugar to deepen the flavor, delivering something far more interesting than your standard madeleine. Perfect with coffee.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 13/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 11 teaspoon baking powder
  • 11/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 large eggs
  • 11/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 11 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 11 tablespoon honey
  • 12 teaspoons finely grated lemon or orange zest
  • 16 tablespoons warm melted unsalted butter
  • 112-cake regular madeleine pan or three 20-cake mini madeleine pans and a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag.

Instructions

  1. Whisk 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt in a small bowl.

  2. Whisk 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, and 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon or orange zest in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients until just incorporated, then whisk in 6 tablespoons warm melted unsalted butter until smooth. Transfer batter to a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag and chill at least 1 hour.

  3. Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly coat a 12-cake regular madeleine pan or three 20-cake mini madeleine pans with nonstick vegetable oil spray and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Snip end off pastry bag (or 1 corner of resealable plastic bag) and pipe batter into pan, filling two-thirds full (you may have a little batter left over).

  4. Bake madeleines until edges are golden brown and centers are puffed and lightly spring back when gently pressed, about 8-10 minutes for regular cakes and 5 minutes for mini.

  5. Tap pan against counter to release madeleines. Dust with powdered sugar and serve while still warm.