If you are reading this, either you have a sweet tooth like me, or you enjoy anything French. I love both.
Back in July, as I was scrolling through Instagram I found one of my favorite travel bloggers, sitting outside of a French cafe, eating the most beautiful hazelnut madeleines. Sigh. I’ve been dreaming of them ever since. Sadly, I can’t travel to Paris anytime soon so I decided to create my own recipe at home.
What’s a Madeleine you ask (besides your dear friend’s daughter)? These little French cake-like cookies are light and airy with a crisp buttery edge. Easy to make, and can be flavored in a myriad of ways from lemon to hazelnut, which I’ve made here. Hazelnut happens to be my favorite nut and the bottle of Frangelico is so handsome, it’s a great excuse to buy one.
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These little gems are distinctive because of their charming scalloped shape.
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Many stories have linked the name to a cook named Madeleine in northeastern France who used to offer these cakes to pilgrims passing through. If only I could change my name..… And for those of you literary types, Proust mentions this cake in his novel In Search of Lost Time. I can’t say I’ve read it. Swann’s Way is still sitting on my shelf.
Now I know what most of you are immediately thinking, I don’t have a Madeleine pan! Perhaps now is the time to get one as they are not expensive and can easily be purchased here. I’ve had mine for a long time now (both mini and regular) and it’s the perfect shape for a cookie to sit next to a cup of tea or adorn a bowl of ice cream. Not interested in buying a pan, or if you’re like me and don’t have the patience to wait, use the bottom of a muffin tin – just fill them 1/3 of the way. Make sure to butter the pan the same way I recommend in the recipe.
Despite this pandemic limiting our travel, we can still have our cake and eat it too!
Ingredients
Serves 12, Recipe can easily be doubled
Dough
- 1/2 C unsalted butter (1 stick) plus 1 T melted to brush the pan
- 1 C hazelnuts, toasted and peeled
- 3/5 (76 grams) C all purpose flour
- 2 T Frangelico liqueur
- 1/4 C sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 t baking powder
- pinch of salt
Glaze
- 1 1/2 oz milk chocolate
- 8 oz white chocolate
- 1 t grapeseed oil
Instructions
- Grind 1/2 C hazelnuts in a food processor until fine. Roughly chop the other 1/2 C and set aside.
- Place butter in a small pan and melt over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally.
- When the butter starts to have a nutty aroma and terns brown, remove from heat and strain. Cool 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, finely grounded hazelnuts, baking powder and salt until combined.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and Frangelico on high for 4 minutes. Add the butter until well incorporated. Add the flour mixture and stir just until it is incorporated.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes-1 hour.
- Meanwhile, pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the madeliene molds with melted butter.
- Spoon the batter into 12 molds and bake for approx. 12 minutes until firm but soft to the touch.
- While the Madeleine are cooling make the glaze.
- Stir the chocolates together in a bowl set over simmering water. Add grape seed oil until smooth.
- Dip one side of each medeliene in the glaze and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.
- Refrigerate or set aside until the glaze hardens.
Enjoy!