Dominique Ansel: Madeleines

Dominique Ansel is a  James Beard Award winner (Outstanding Pastry Chef) and 2017’s World’s Best Pastry Chef. He opened the Bakery with its motto being creativity (Ansel Kitchen’s motto is “Time is an Ingredient”). He is the creator of the infamous Cronut and is one of the best pastry chefs in the world, as it shows through many of his creations.  

The Mini Madeleines are a very simple and very quick creation. Quite possibly Dominique Ansel’s easiest and simplest recipe. Once placed into the oven, the Mini Madeleines literally take just 5 minutes. So, yeah, time isn’t a factor with these jewels. We cooked them a little too long in our first attempt (as you can see in the photos) but they still tasted great. They don’t look Dominique-Ansel perfect, but perfect enough.  

This recipe was taken from the book Dominique Ansel The Secret Recipes. It’s a cookbook full of fun and creative treats that anyone can do. 

Recipe

Ingredients

Unsalted butter (84% butterfat) – 8 tablespoons (115 grams)

Dark brown sugar – 1 tablespoon (15 grams)

Honey – 2 teaspoons (15 grams)

Granulated sugar – 1/2 cup (100 grams)

Kosher salt – 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram)

All-purpose flour (sifted) – 1 cup (120 grams)

Baking powder – 1/2 teaspoon (4 grams) 

Whole eggs (large), at room temperature – 3 each (150 grams)

Grated lemon zest – 1/2 lemon 

Grated orange zest – 1/2 orange 

Nonstick cooking spray – as needed

Confectioners’ sugar (for serving) – as needed

Timeline: For this recipe, make the batter the day before. The day of you’ll pipe, bake and serve. 

The Day Before: Make Batter

1. Melt the butter, brown sugar, and honey in a medium pot over low heat. Stir gently with a heatproof spatula to ensure that nothing burns. Keep the mixture warm over very low heat, or reheat if necessary. 

Using different types of honey is a great way to naturally flavor madeleines. Ansel loves acacia and wildflower honeys. 

2. Combine the granulated sugar, salt, flour, and baking powder in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs one by one, whisking to incorporate each before adding the next. Use room temperature eggs to avoid cooling down the batter. If the batter is too cold, the butter may congeal when you add it. 

3. When the eggs are fully incorporated and the batter is smooth, slowly whisk in the butter mixture. Whisk in the lemon and orange zest. The batter will still be runny and similar in consistency to cake batter. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the batter, to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate overnight to rest. 

Many recipes containing baking powder do well to rest overnight. This helps with rising, which is especially important for the madeleine — a pastry that puffs up in the center when it bakes. 

The Day of: Pipe, Bake, Serve

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for conventional or 350 F (175 C) for convection ovens. In general for baking pastries, set your oven to convection if the option is available. This allows the heat to flow more evenly. It’s an ideal setting because it helps pastries bake evenly on all sides. 

2. Using a rubber spatula, place 2 large scoops of batter in a piping bag so that it is one-third full. Push the batter down toward the tip of the bag. 

3. Cut an opening about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) straight across the tip of the bag. 

4. Hold the nonstick cooking spray about 4 inches (10 cm) away from a nonstick mini madeleine pan and spray evenly in all the cavities. 

5. Holding the piping bag at a 90-degree angle about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) above the pan, pipe the madeleine batter into the cavities so that it fills each about three-quarters of the way to the top. 

6. Bake the madeleines for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes on the center rack. When you see the batter puff up in the center, rotate the pan 180 degrees. Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, until the sides of the madeleines are golden blond and the center has set. 

7. Unmold immediately. Bang the corner or sides of the madeleine pan against your work surface so that the fresh madeleines drop out. 

If you find that the madeleines stick to the mold, for the next batch, try spraying a bit more cooking spray. Also, keeping the mold clean and washing it thoroughly with a soft sponge after use will also prevent the madeleines from sticking. 

Serving Instructions

Using a small sieve, sprinkle confectioners’ sugar evenly over the fresh-baked madeleines. Eat immediately. 

Storage Instructions

Madeleines are good only when freshly baked. Do not attempt to store them. However, you can keep the batter in a closed airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.