A friend of mine gifted me a madeline pan a few years ago, and every time I use it I love being rewarded with these little treats. Madelines are so cute, but being a French pastry they can have a reputation for being difficult to make. After a little trial and error, I’ve found a method that works to create this buttery treat that’s a combination of a cookie and a cake. You won’t find a better little cookie for dipping in a cup of afternoon tea or coffee! I won’t tell if you eat them for breakfast. Taking advantage of citrus season, these orange madelines are made with orange zest and orange extract and have an orange glaze to maximize that bright flavor.
Madelines are best enjoyed the day they are baked, or the day after if you store them in an airtight bag or container and wait to glaze them until right before serving. They are meant to be a cake that’s light and tender, but they can get stale quickly. I think that just means you need to dunk them in coffee or tea if you can’t enjoy them as soon as you bake them!
Generally I’m someone that really loves chocolate desserts, but I also really love citrus desserts. I’m looking at citrus tarts, lemon meringue pie, and lemon bars. Definitely the opposite of chocolate with that tartness, but I love it. In fact, I think I’m going to be attempting a key lime meringue pie sometime soon and as long as I don’t burn off my eyebrows torching the meringue, I’m hoping its a success story that I can share soon.
While you’re waiting for my next citrus dessert, I hope you enjoy these orange madelines!
- 10 tbsp. butter, divided
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. orange extract
- 1 tbsp. finely grated orange zest
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp. orange juice
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Melt 8 tbsp. butter in a small saucepan and set aside to cool.
- Using a bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat together eggs and sugar until light in color. Add vanilla extract, orange extract, and orange zest and mix again until smooth and slightly fluffy.
- In a small bowl whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and carefully fold in. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and carefully fold in again.
- Add the melted and cooled butter all at once and stir until just combined.
- Melt the remaining 2 tbsp. butter and brush the madeline pan with melted butter.
- Use a tablespoon to evenly distribute the batter between 12 madelines.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the deepest part comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before gently removing to cool completely.
- Once completely cool, whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp. orange juice. Add the remaining orange juice if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Drizzle over the cooled madelines and enjoy immediately!
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