Whether you’re looking for a perfect Christmas morning treat or something for that last minute holiday girlfriend gathering you’re hosting, Cinnamon Madeleines are a terrific go-to. They are fabulous with a coffee or hot tea, they don’t require a plate or cutlery for serving, and their cinnamon-y goodness says “holiday!”

Admittedly, having the Madeleine pans is key to this recommendation… but they’re inexpensive and available pretty much everywhere. I might add that if you live in or near Madison, Indiana, I have two pans you could borrow since I baked mine today!

In August, my daughter, Carrie, took me to Paris for a whirlwind weekend. One of our foodie stops on our culinary adventure was to sample the incredible madeleines at The Ritz Le Comptoir. Really, this was the pinnacle of French madeleine decadence. Although I cannot duplicate their mastery, I do appreciate this traditional French sponge cake delicacy. Such a treat!

OK, back to my Cinnamon Madeleines. The flavor of this recipe reminds me of my mother’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake, a traditional favorite of generations of my family. Odd, because there’s no sour cream in them! There are few ingredients, and the quantity of batter is really quite small for the 2 dozen “cookies” yield.

In a nutshell, prepare the pans, and beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour & spices mixture. Add the melted butter. Fill the pans. Bake. Cool. Smell the wonderful cinnamon smells that fill the kitchen – and the rest of the house! Hmmm – smells like Christmas!

Beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla…
Add the flour/spices mixture…
Add the melted butter!
Prepare the pans…
Fill the pans…
Bake the madeleines!
Cool the madeleins…
Serve the madeleines…
Don’t be surprised if some stick a bit to the pan!

Here’s my recipe:

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Cinnamon Madeleines

Madeleine are a traditional French sponge cake baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions and are a delicious treat with hot coffee or tea. They are frequently referred to as a cookie.
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine French
Keyword cookies, madeleines
Servings 12 cookies
Author sallymcw

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup butter melted and cooled

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray 2 (12 well) madeleine pans with baking spray. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
  • In a small bowl, combine flour, nutmeg and cinnamon, whisking well.
  • In a large medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat a high speed with a mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, beating at medium speed until well blended.
  • Spoon a heaping tablespoon batter into each well of prepared pans, Let batter sit for 5 minutes.
  • Bake until light golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove madeleines from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Dust very light with confectioners sugar, if desired.
  • Store in an airtight container. May be frozen.

I’ll be sharing a few of my Cinnamon Madeleines with a couple of friends and hoarding the rest to enjoy what I hope are several quiet moments between now and Christmas. If you’re not able to enjoy these Cinnamon Madeleines this holiday season, I hope you’ll bookmark the recipe and plan to make it in the coming years!

Written by

sallymcw

One thing that makes my journey unique is that all of my interests are driven by a joyful and genuine curiosity. I delight in finding less expensive ways to make something or creative ways to enjoy something longer. Finding and creating joy - and sharing it - is core to who I am.