It’s been almost a year since I posted my first madeleine recipe, this chocolatey, cherry amaretto stunner. Wow, we’ve come a long way!
(I’m not taking my food photos with my iPhone anymore, for starters. I am amazed I ever even got away with that.)
Considering I am usually considered the savoury foil to Chelsea’s sweet tooth on the blog, it might surprise you to see I’m posting more sweets. I don’t know why I consider madeleines the exception to my general ambivalence towards all things sweet. They are sweet, buttery, totally indulgent little cakes and not even a bit savoury like those peanut butter miso cookies I made.
Maybe it’s because madeleines are light as a feather, or maybe it’s because they go well with tea (I pretty much always have a pot of tea going). Maybe it’s their pretty little shape. Whatever the reason, I am a madeleine fan for life. I mean, have you ever known the French to be wrong about baking? Of course not.
One of my favourite things about a good madeleine recipe is that it’s versatile. The classic French madeleine is lightly flavoured with vanilla or lemon zest, but I have seen recipes veer wildly into the unknown- parmesan cheese, hibiscus, chocolate, matcha…
In that spirit, my newest and current all-time-favourite madeleine recipe combined these little French tea cakes with my persistent fascination with the American Deep South. French influence is all over Louisiana, after all! I kind of love the marriage of the two.
In another world, would Marcel Proust, the champion of the madeleine, have enjoyed his cake with sweet tea and bourbon instead of tisane? Would he have made smokey, savoury madeleines to enjoy with his gumbo? (actually… nevermind in another world, that’s my next plan)
The pecans in these make them a little craggier than usual, but if you’re keen to make them extra pretty, press the batter down into the moulds slightly when you fill them.
| Bourbon Pecan Madeleines with Peach Glaze | Print |
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 cup + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup + 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
- ¼ cup pecans, finely chopped
- .
- Glaze:
- 3 Tbsp peach schnapps
- 2 Tbsp icing sugar
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. If you like you can, skillfully brown the butter slightly for a nuttier flavour but take care not to over-brown it. if you're worried about burning the butter, skip the browning and just melt it. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, mix one cup of the flour and the sugar, and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the two eggs with the vanilla, salt and bourbon until the eggs are frothy.
- And the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and, using a spatula, stir until just combined. Take care not to over-stir.
- Add the cooled melted butter and chopped pecans and stir. It may take a minute for the butter to blend into the mixture but once again, take extra care not to over mix.
- Rest the batter. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to rest at least one hour and up to overnight.
- Prepare the madeleine pan with the extra tablespoon of butter- butter each shell-shaped mold and dust lightly with flour, tapping off any excess. Place the pans in the freezer for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven and fill pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and the pan from the freezer. Fill each mold with approximately one tablespoon of the batter.
- Bake the madeleines for 10-15 minutes until the edges are browning and the middle is puffed up slightly. Using your forefinger, press lightly on the center hump- when the madeleines are finished baking, it should spring back at your touch.
- Remove the madeleines from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Then, using a fork, gently loosen the madeleines from their molds and arrange onto a cooling rack
- While the madeleines are cooling, make the glaze. In a small saucepan over low heat, mix icing sugar and peach schnapps together until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and dip the shell side of each madeleine in the glaze.
These madeleines look and sound SO delicious. I regularly make madeleines but never have added booze to the batter before… I have to try this recipe!
Thanks, Thalia! We’re huge fans of Butter and Brioche.
In our experience booze and madeleines go together splendidly provided you use a strongly flavoured liquor, not too much, and one with a high enough alcohol content so it doesn’t throw off the whole chemistry of the recipe. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next! 🙂
These were unbelievably good. I’ve never made madeleines before and decided to make these for Easter. Truly excellent, thank you.
Glad they were a hit, Rebekah! I don’t even have much of a sweet tooth, but even I couldn’t help pulling the ‘ok, just one more… okay, this is the last one… no, this is the last one…’ with these