Gingerbread Madeleines

How to Make Gingerbread Madeleines

It is always a good idea to read through the recipe and assemble ingredients before starting. If you only have one madeleine pan, plan for the baking to take a bit more time to allow time to cool, and regrease the pan between batches. The recipe below gives all the details, but here is a summary.

Grease the Madeleine Molds

After turning on the oven, grease the madeleine molds with shortening, or spray with cooking spray. We tested with flouring the molds too, but in the nonstick pan we used for testing, this was not necessary. If your pans are not nonstick, flouring may be a good idea.

Mix the Batter

It is a one-bowl, one-step mixing method with an electric mixer. Melted butter makes it easy to incorporate all the ingredients. Be sure to scrape around the inside of the bowl with a rubber spatula as you mix so everything is combined evenly.

Fill the Molds

Fill each mold with a bit more than 1 measuring tablespoonful of batter. No need to spread the batter in the molds. The batter will fill the molds as it bakes.

Bake and Cool

Begin checking if the madeleines are done at the beginning of the bake range. Especially if you are using a dark pan, the madeleines may bake quickly. The exterior of the cakes will be dry and spring back when touched lightly. Cool in the pan 1 minute to help the cakes set a bit. The madeleines may release from the pan when the pan is turned upside down, or carefully remove with a thin spatula. Place design side up on the cooling rack.

Dip and Decorate

Melt the white baking chips in a small bowl. We use the microwave on High for only 45 seconds before stirring. This may be all you need if you have a powerful microwave. If not, microwave in additional interval of only 10 to 15 seconds to prevent burning. Dip tops of shells in the melted chips. Immediately sprinkle with holiday decors before the white chips set up. Let set on cooling rack until the coating is set, which is about 15 minutes.

Ingredients in Gingerbread Madeleines

All the ingredients may already be in your kitchen pantry and refrigerator.

Cake Mix: We start with a vanilla-flavored cake mix to bring tenderness and sweetness to the madeleines. No need to measure sugar, flour, vanilla, and leavening when you start with the mix. Either the French vanilla or the vanilla cake mix works well.

Molasses: This flavorful sweetener is a by-product of refining sugar beets or sugar cane into white sugar. It is thick and syrupy. Measure it in a liquid measuring cup. If you spray the measuring cup lightly with nonstick spray before adding the molasses, it is easier to scrape it out of the cup and into the mixing bowl.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: Is actually a blend of spices made up of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Different brands may not have each of the spices and will vary in the ratio of the spices. Find one you like for pumpkin pie, and it will work well in this recipe, too.

Other Basics: Melted butter makes the batter easy to mix. We tested this with salted butter because it is what most people have in their kitchens and it has a longer shelf life, but unsalted would work, too. We also test all our recipes with large eggs; they are the most common and work well for this recipe. And although we call for melted white baking chips, you could use white candy coating as well.

More Gingerbread Ideas

If you love the flavor of gingerbread in cake and cookies, look below for a few other unique ways to enjoy this flavor.

Gingerbread Men Cookies is a traditional recipe for rolled and cutout cookies. Explore your cookie cutter collection to form boys, girls, dogs, or sleds. Keep them classic by decorating with creamy white frosting.

Gingerbread Cupcakes recipe adds a fabulous cream cheese frosting to gingerbread-flavored cupcakes for a perfect pairing. Start with a cake batter made with Gold MedalÔ flour and add a dose of molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. The cream cheese frosting has a hint of cinnamon and vanilla to complement the cupcakes.

Gingerbread Cookie Cocktail creates a dynamic cocktail with a fresh gingerroot and molasses-based simple syrup. Once shaken with vodka, half-and-half, and coffee liqueur, serve it straight up in a martini glass. Cheers!