Lemon Madeleines

Three lemon madeleine cookies on a plate.

Our delicate lemon madeleines have both lemon zest and lemon juice adding a bright citrusy flavor to the moist cookies. When they finish baking dip them in a sweet lemony glaze for an extra pop of lemon. These little tea cakes are perfect for a snack or light dessert.

5 from 12 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 7

Additional Time: 2

Total Time: 2 27

Servings: Cookies

Calories: 88kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

1-⅓ cup 160 grams all-purpose flour
⅔ cup 130 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
zest of 1 lemon
3 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
10 tablespoons butter melted and cooled to room temperature

For the Glaze:

¾ cup powdered sugar sifted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
Whisk the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla together, then stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture.
Pour the melted butter into the batter and whisk or fold until fully incorporated. The batter will look shiny and smooth.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least hour to fully chill. This step will help the madeleines have a tall hump.

To Bake the Madeleines:

Heat the oven to 375°F and grease and flour the madeleine pan. Alternatively, you can use a baking oil/flour spray, brushing into the crevices. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, place a scoop of batter into each rounded cavity of the chilled pan.
Transfer the pan to the center rack of the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes, or until the edges look golden and crisp and the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and immediately flip them onto a kitchen towel, pattern side down, and cool for 10-15 minutes before glazing.

To Make the Glaze:

While the madeleines are baking, stir the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and water together until smooth.
When the Madeleine cookies are cool enough to handle but still warm, dip the pattern side of each cookie in the glaze. Place on a wire cooling rack, pattern side up, until the glaze is dry.

Notes

Chilling the batter will ensure a higher dome on the cookies.
Do not leave the baked madeleines in the pan, as they will continue to cook from the heat of the pan and risk being dry.
Beware of turning the madeleines from the pan directly onto a wire cooling rack, as they will leave wire-rack markings on the cookies. Wait until they have partially cooled on the kitchen towel before glazing.
If you only have one madeleine pan, bake in batches and keep the remaining batter refrigerated until ready to bake.
Wash the pan thoroughly between each batch of cookies and grease/flour the pan when ready to bake the remaining batch.
Store leftover cookies in a covered container for up to three days.

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