I just got a madeleine pan for Christmas and have been waiting patiently to use it. Madeleines are such a beautiful cookie/cake. Let me clarify what I mean by that, there seems to be some discrepancy about what they actually are. Some insist it's a cake, some insist it's a cookie. I don't care either way, but generally refer to them as a cookie. Call it what you like though, these Orange Madeleines are amazing!
These Orange Madeleines get their subtle and delicate orange flavor from 2 sources, first the zest, second orange juice. This provides the best flavor!There are several ways of getting the zest, a good microplane is my favorite method. This Microplane also happens to be made in the US, which I am all about.
Navel oranges have the best flavor right now, as they are in season. I prefer just to squeeze. Use whatever method you prefer here.
Baking powder is my leavener of choice for this recipe.
I have to get photos of the eggs cracking every time! I'm fascinated by the look of the whites dripping down.
Next is granulated sugar. You mix the sugar and eggs until light and frothy.
This will take several minutes, so just be patient.
Here it is, starting to look like it should.
Next add in flours and fold. You can use the mixers here, but I prefer to fold.
Next is orange juice.
Add in melted butter.
This is a blurry photo, but this is what the batter should look like.
I have nonstick pans, but wanted to ensure the madeleines came out no problem, so I sprayed as well.
Each cavity took one small portion scoop exactly.
Now, in order for the madeleines to keep their shape, tap the pan against the counter top with both hands. You will need to do this several times. You will notice as you do they air bubbles in the batter will begin to surface, that is exactly what you want. Now, just make sure you don't bang so hard you dent the pan!
Here is the first finished batch. They were a little light, but still so good.
I was doing a valentine's version, so I dipped in white chocolate for half. Then the other half in dark chocolate.
And, of course we had to use sprinkles.
Here are the dark chocolate versions.
Aren't these cookies so delicate and pretty?
I love using a white and dark chocolate, I feel like it not only adds contrast for serving, but also satisfies any taste!
Plus, these sprinkles are just so pretty!
Orange Madeleines
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 10 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- white and semi sweet chocolate for dipping
- coconut oil, if desired for smoother melting
- Valentine's Sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 385 degrees.Prep your madeleine pan. If it is non stick and in good shape, you may not need to do anything to it. I like to butter just for a safe guard. You can even spray if you prefer the simplicity, which I generally do.Combine flours, baking powder and salt in small bowl and set aside. In another medium sized bowl, add eggs and sugar. You can mix with a stand mixer, hand mixer (which I did), or even by hand. Beat until they are light and fluffy. Mine took about 5 minutes. Next, add in flour mixture. At this point I like to combine with a spatula. Add in remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Now, scoop into pans. I used a small portion scoop, linked in post. Next, grab both sides of the pan and bang on the counter top several times. You don't want a lot of air bubbles in the madeleines. The banging will cause the air bubbles to rise to the surface and go out. Now, the only caution here is not to bang so hard you dent your pan. 🙂Place in oven. Now these will bake really quickly, so keep an eye on them. That is one of the nice things about them though, they are so quick to make! Mine were taking 5 minutes and under. I text them by lightly pressing on the center of the cookie. It should feel just slightly under baked, very slightly. Remove from oven and invert over cooling rack. I only have 1 pan, so I continued to fill and bake until they were all done. All together it took under 20 minutes.If you are dipping, melt your chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave. I used about ¼ cup each chocolate as I only dipped the corners. If you are dipping more, you will need more chocolate. If you want, add a teaspoon of coconut oil. This will result in a smoother and slightly thinner chocolate to dip in. I didn't, but it is certainly a great option. If you are making these Valentine's themed, put sprinkles on while the chocolate is still wet.Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!