Lemon Thyme Madeleines

May 9, 2015

The Madeleine aficionado looks for the famous hump, crunchy shell and a moist center. This recipe reveals the secrets to creating a perfect madeleine with lots of lemon and thyme — a cookie that you’ll want to dunk in tea or milk. For an excellent discussion and tutorial on this process, please see Joe Pastry.

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Ingredients

Makes 24 madeleines

Volume Grams Ounces

1 cup 43 grams 1.5 ounces finely ground bread crumbs to dust the mold
1 stick 127 grams 4.50 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled, but still fluid
3 large eggs 150 grams (3 large) 1.75 ounces (3 large) eggs, at room temperature or slightly warmed
1 large 14 grams (1 large) .5 ounce (1 large) egg yolk
2/3 cup 120 grams 4.25 ounces golden caster sugar or white granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups 173 grams 6.10 ounce all-purpose bleached flour
1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon lemon oil (optional)
1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves only, roughly chopped

Instructions

MISE EN PLACE FOR THE MADELEINES

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Using softened butter, either with your finger or a brush, thoroughly spread it into the molds and dust them with finely ground bread crumbs.
Place you madeleine mold(s) in the fridge.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
Zest the lemon and prepare the thyme leaves, and set aside. Cover in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Click here to read more about zesting citrus.
Crack the eggs into a bowl of a stand mixer.
Measure the sugar and salt into another bowl. Resist the urge to combine the egg and sugar prematurely because the sugar will cause the egg to coagulate.
Melt butter gently. Cool it, keeping it liquid.

MAKE THE MADELEINE BATTER

Add the sugar to the eggs and beat on high speed with a paddle until the eggs are pale in color, and very, very thick—about 5-10 minutes.
Sift and fold the flour and baking powder with a Flat Whisk until almost incorporated.
Add thyme and lemon.

Flour folded into the beaten whole eggs.

The madeleine batter with lemon and thyme.

Gradually add in the cooled butter

Cooled butter added to the madeleine batter (not so gradually).

If you don’t want the classic hump, bake the madeleines immediately. If you want the hump, chill the batter in the fridge for an hour or so.
When you are ready to bake, fill the cold mold ¾ full and resist the urge to fill completely.
Note on filling the mold: Only fill the mold ¾ full and resist the urge to add more batter.