Classic Madeleines

Total: 9 hr 5 min (includes chilling and cooling times)
Active: 20 min
Yield: 12 cookies

With their fancy name and classy appearance, madeleines may seem intimidating, but it only takes a few pantry ingredients to make the golden, shell-shaped sweets. A madeleine’s texture is a cross between a cookie and a mini cake, so we found that chilling the dough overnight produces the lightest and airiest interior and a nice crisp exterior. All they need is a little dusting of confectioners’ sugar to finish off — but we think dunking them in chocolate is a good idea, too!


Ingredients

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1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter


1/3 cup granulated sugar


1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest


1/4 teaspoon kosher salt


2 large eggs


1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste


1/2 cup all-purpose flour


Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

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Directions
Special equipment: a 12-cup madeleine pan
Microwave 6 tablespoons of the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl, stirring halfway through, until melted, about 1 minute. Set aside to cool slightly.
Combine the granulated sugar, lemon zest, salt and eggs in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is very light yellow and frothy, about 8 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat just to incorporate. Add 1/4 cup of the egg mixture to the melted butter and stir just to combine. Add the butter mixture back to the bowl and whisk on low speed to combine. Add the flour and whisk on low just to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Microwave the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl until melted, about 30 seconds. Generously brush a 12-cup madeleine pan with the melted butter, making sure to get it into the grooves.
Spoon a heaping 1 tablespoon batter into each cup of the prepared pan. Bake until the edges are golden brown, have a slight dome and spring back when pressed 12 to 14 minutes. Immediately loosen the edges with a small offset spatula or butter knife and unmold; transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Dust the madeleines with the confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.