These small batch lemon madeleines are the perfect summer treat. Made with only 9 ingredients, these french mini cakes are a tangy, sweet, and easy to make.
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These small batch lemon madeleines are one of my favorite desserts to make. They are a fun and classic dessert very popular all over Europe. I love European desserts because they have so much more character and history to them compared to American desserts.
What the heck is a Madeleine?
You might be wondering what a madeleine even is. Most people have no idea what they are and have never heard of them before. Basically, madeleines are a french dessert that is the combination of a mini cake and a cookie. Traditionally they are made in a scalloped pan like the one in the picture above.
Madeleines are typically covered in a glaze and can come in many, many different flavors including vanilla, chocolate, orange, strawberry, and in this case lemon.
Small Batch Recipes
Ever since I started developing recipes more frequently, I began to make smaller batch recipes. When you’re recipe testing it can be a toss up whether something turns out or not. I didn’t want to waste anything more than I needed to so I turned to small batch recipes.
Once quarantine hit, I began to realize that it would be a good idea to start sharing small batch recipes. More people were in demand for recipes that didn’t make a ton of food. So I shared my small batch cinnamon rolls. They were an instant hit.
Because I have a large family, it hadn’t occured to me that most people don’t want to have 3 dozen pastries in their house at one time. With 8 siblings, my parents, and the gaggle of friends that were always at our house, it was never hard to get rid of food.
Things you need to know when making madeleines:
When you make madeleines, there are a few things that if done properly, will elevate your madeleines from good to out of this world.
Use Melted Butter instead of Cooking Spray. Using cooking spray instead of melted butter will cause the madeleines to be less evenly browned. Melted butter can also give the madeleines a slightly browned butter taste which adds to the flavor and wholeness of the dessert.
Sift, Sift, Sift. Do not forget to sift the flour and baking powder together. This breaks up any clumps and helps the batter to have a smooth and silky consistency.
Cool the melted butter. Make sure that the butter that you will be adding to the batter isn’t super hot. The last thing you want to do is cook the egg before you put the batter in the oven.
Use vanilla bean paste rather than vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste is worth every penny. It is so so good and you can definitely taste the difference. If you have to use regular vanilla extract, make sure that you use pure vanilla extract rather than an imitation extract.
When you make these small batch lemon madeleines, make sure to tag me on Instagram! I love seeing what you are making and it is super fun to connect with all of you via social media. If you are on Pinterest you can also save this recipe so that you can find it again later.
Lemon Madeleines
Ingredients
- ½ cup Flour (67g)
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 5 tsp Lemon Zest (zest of one large lemon)
- ¼ cup Sugar (50g)
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- ¼ cup Melted Butter (cooled to room temperature)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Pull out your madeleine pan and brush 8 molds with melted butter.
- In a small bowl sift together the flour and the baking powder at least twice. This helps remove any clumps in the flour or in the baking powder.
- Add the lemon zest and the sugar to the flour mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Add the egg and the vanilla bean paste to the batter and mix well.
In the mood to make something else? My browned butter banana muffins are the perfect fix for you breakfast cravings and my Light Angel Food Cupcakes are a light and airy, customizable, delicate dessert that requires less than an hour of hands on work.
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