Pink Lemonade Madeleines

in Cakes & Cupcakes, Citrus, Lemon

Lemon-Glazed Madeleines

When I approached my husband with my Labor Day dessert idea, he responded enthusiastically. “I’ve been thinking that pink lemonade sounds really good lately.”

Who knew?

Lemon-Glazed Madeleines

We’ve done pink lemonade in dessert form around here before. The Aunt Sandy-ish recipe for Pink Lemonade Cupcakes has been the most popular recipe on my site since I blogged it in early 2007. It by far beats out other fantastic (and far more difficult to make) edibles. It gets more referrals from random message boards posts, forums, and Google searches than anything else I’ve ever made. People love pink lemonade.

Lemon-Glazed Madeleines

My husband and I are still quite newbs in the world of the madeleine. We had our first fantastic nibble of the more-cake-than-cookie courtesy of He-Who-Wields-A-Mean-Whisk. Literally. We attended a cooking class with David Lebovitz at the great grocery mecca that is Central Market earlier this year and were instantly smitten with the Lemon-Glazed Madeleines he served during the demonstration.

We loved the lemon-glazed madeleines but we really loved changing the recipe just a bit for the margarita-glazed madeleines that we whipped up for Cinco de Mayo. So with school starting this week and summer coming to an end for many, I wanted Labor Day dessert to send summer out with a bright, tasty, pink-tinted bang.

Pink Lemonade-Glazed Madeleines

Tart lemon madeleines topped with a pink lemonade glaze.

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder (optional)
  • zest of one lemon
  • 9 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus additional melted butter for preparing the molds
  • For the glaze:
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 Tbsp pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
  • 1-2 drops red food coloring

Instructions

  1. Brush the indentations of a madeleine mold with melted butter. Dust with flour, tap off any excess, and place in the fridge or freezer.
  2. Whip the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt with a stand mixer for 5 minutes until frothy and thickened.
  3. Spoon the flour and baking powder, if using, into a sifter or mesh strainer and use a spatula to fold in the flour as you sift it over the batter. (Rest the bowl on a damp towel to help steady it for you.)
  4. Add the lemon zest to the cooled butter, then dribble the butter into the batter, a few spoonfuls at a time, while simultaneously folding to incorporate the butter. Fold just until all the butter is incorporated.
  5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Batter can be chilled for up to 12 hours.)
  6. To bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  7. Plop enough batter in the center of each indentation with enough batter which you think will fill it by 3/4's (I used a scoop with a volume of 2 Tbsp for my large madeleine mold. For the smaller mold, I used about 2 tsp of batter.) Do not spread the batter.
  8. Bake for 8-9 minutes (they go 5 minutes in the small mold, 8 in the large mold) or until the cakes just feel set. While the cakes are baking, make a glaze in a small mixing bowl by stirring together the powdered sugar, pink lemonade concentrate, and food coloring until smooth.
  9. Remove from the oven and tilt the madeleines out onto a cooling rack. The moment they're cool enough to handle, dip each cake in the glaze, turning them over to make sure both sides are coated and scrape off any excess. After dipping, rest each one back on the cooking rack, scalloped side up, until the cakes are cool and the glaze has firmed up.
  10. Storage: Glazed madeleines are best left uncovered, or not tightly-wrapped; they're best eaten the day they're made. They can be kept in a container for up to three days after baking, if necessary. I don't recommend freezing them since the glaze will melt (freeze and then glaze when thawed).

Notes

Yields: 24 madeleines

Adapted from David Lebovitz's Lemon Madeleines

Estimated time: 1 hour 20 minutes

10 comments… add one
  • Woot! After those fabulous margarita-glazed madeleines, my husband and I are dying to try more flavors. Lemonade is my favorite (non-alcoholic) beverage so I can’t wait to try them! Thanks for the great idea.

  • I am so glad those madelaine pans were on sale at Crate and Barrel…..

  • nice! you got the coveted hump on your madeleines 🙂

  • Nice madelaines 🙂 I tried your pink lemonade cupcakes and they were a hit 🙂

  • I love this idea. I love pink lemonade!

  • Great Idea, sounds like your husband and you are on the same page. They look delicious!

    Jenna

    http://newlyweds.wordpress.com/

  • wow this recipe is great and they really look delicious! I’ve taken a look also at the cupcakes and defenetly they are supreme! great job!
    Have a great day!
    Silvia

  • Oh, boy… now, I need a madeline pan so that I can make these! They sound so wonderful!

  • Customized Bags

    Great recipe – I adapted them to be gluten free and cook them in a similar themed pan. They are a great hit around here! Thanks again!

  • OMG These look scrumptious. What great photography skills, too.

    If you’re a real foodie (you seem like one), you should check out the website http://www.behindtheburner.com for tips and tricks on all things culinary. Please do!

    Holly

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