These Madeleines have fresh pineapple pieces and sweet coconut to create a nice crumb and prevent them from drying out while baking.
French Madeleines are small little cakes to pack for picnics, in school lunch boxes, enjoy as a snack, or enjoy with breakfast tea or coffee.
Ohhhh and the tropical flavors take you straight to an island paradise...🍍🥥🌴
A plain shell-shaped madeleine is delightful, so I thought why not bake fresh coconut and pineapple inside these little tea cakes and make them a tropical French tea cake?
While cracking the coconut shell open with a hammer, I got coconut water everywhere! You don't need to open coconuts for this recipe, just buy a sweetened coconut at the store. See what I do for pretty photos?
A Bit About Madeleines
Madeleines are baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions. These pans are easily found online and at stores like HomeGoods, Williams-Sonoma, and Sur La Table. Other than the madeleine pan, no other fancy equipment is required.
A génoise cake batter is used, and the flavor is similar to but somewhat lighter than sponge cake. Traditional recipes typically include very finely ground nuts, usually almonds. A variation uses lemon zest, for a pronounced lemony taste. Variations on the flavors are unlimited!
You Will Need
- 1-2 tablespoon melted butter (pan preparation)
- 2 tablespoons flour (pan preparation)
- ⅓ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Baking Tips for Madeleines
- Make Sure Madeleines Don't Stick in the Pan: Even in a non-stick pan, lightly brush melted butter and dust with flour, and knock out excess flour. Or, spray with Coconut Oil non-stick spray before filling the batter into the pan, use a small pastry brush to get softened butter into every crevice of the scallop shells. It will prevent sticking and help achieve a golden color on the baked madeleines.
- Madeleine Pan: I used a Nonstick-madeleine pan, it was about $25 from Sur La Table. And I still used melted butter and flour to prevent sticking.
- Baking In Your Madeleine Pan: You will want to wash, dry, and rebutter/flour your pan, or the madeleines will stick because of the prior batch.
- Why Sift Dry Ingredients? Puts air into the mixture and prevents lumps.
- Why Fold? Don't stir (which will deflate the batter). Instead, place a rubber spatula into the bowl's center. Cut through to the edge, lift, and turn batter over flour gently. Give the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat until flour is mixed into the batter.
- Filling Batter into the Pan: A small 1" spring cookie scoop works great, 2 regular spoons work as well, or a pastry bag (or ziplock bag with the corner cut off) will make the quickest, neatest work of filling the prepared molds three-quarters full.
- Unmolding the Madeleines: Tap the back of the pan, and the madeleines will pop right out. If any stick, use a small knife to release them out of the pan.
- Make-Ahead: The batter can be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Use Room-temperature eggs: Triple in volume when beaten, cold eggs don't. If you forget, submerge whole eggs in warm water for 10 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.
History of Madeleines
Some sources say madeleines may have been named for a 19th-century pastry cook, Madeleine Paulmier, a cook in the 18th century for Stanisław Leszczyński, whose son-in-law, Louis XV of France, named after her.
The story goes that Louis XV called this tiny cake "Madeleine" for the first time in 1755 in honor of his father-in-law's cook Paulmier.
Louis' XV wife then introduced them to the court of Versailles and they quickly became loved all over France. Marcel Proust, a well-known author, describes Madeleines as "a little shell of cake, so generously sensual beneath the piety of its stern pleating…"
Another Version of Madeleine History
The Larousse Gastronomique offers another version of the history of the Madeleine. This story says the madeleine name came from Jean Avice, the "master of choux pastry," who worked as a pastry chef for Prince Talleyrand. Avice is said to have invented the Madeleine in the 19th century by baking little cakes in aspic moulds. The small portions and pretty shapes meant the madeleines baked quickly and could be delivered right to the table without embellishment.
We will never know the true story of how madeleines came to be, but we do know these little cakes have been enjoyed for hundreds of years. And we will continue to love them for their simple pretty shell shape with a cup of coffee or tea.
Let's Make Them
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter (stovetop or microwave) and set aside.
- Lightly brush melted butter into your madeleine pan covering all the parts of the shell.
- Flour the madeleine pans covering all the shells, and tap the excess flour out of the pan.
- Choose your scoop either 2 spoons, a cookie scoop, or a pastry bag.
PRO TIPS:
When you reuse your pan for more batches, you will want to wash, dry, and rebutter/flour your pan, or the madeleines will stick.
I like to knock the flour onto a large piece of parchment paper to ease cleanup.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 8-9 minutes. After beating, the eggs and sugar will be pale and fluffy-smooth.
- Watch for the "ribbon" stage. When the beater is raised, a thick ribbon will slowly fall back into the bowl.
- Next, add ½ cup melted and cooled butter and blend in for 1 minute, turn off the mixer, and put away. We will do the rest by hand!
- Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and gently fold ½ at a time into the batter with a rubber spatula. (see notes on folding technique).
- Stir in the finely chopped pineapple and coconut.
- The batter will be thick and sticky.
- Just fold the batter until the pineapple and coconut are incorporated. Grab your prepared madeleine pan and scoop.
- Fill each shell ¾ full with batter using a small 1" ice cream scoop or a generous tablespoon. Don't spread the batter, just place it into the pan.
- The batter will fill and puff up in baking, don't worry that it doesn't fill the shells yet.
- Bake on center rack for 10 minutes. This can vary according to the oven itself and the pan you use.
Madeleines are done when they puff up, spring back when pressed slightly, with slightly golden brown edges. They will have a visible bump on top, which means they are baked correctly!
Tap the madeleines out on a baking rack or piece of parchment paper and allow them to cool.
More Baking Recipes
Apple Pie Filling is a great way to use up apples and is freezer friendly, and makes the BEST Apple Crumble Pie.
If you love to bake classic desserts try these White Chocolate Raspberry Scones or a Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting using real strawberries!
For holiday baking, bake up a batch of Peppermint Crunch Chocolate Chip Cookies or for Easter, bake up an adorable Bunny Cake!
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Pineapple Coconut Madeleines
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons melted butter to prepare the madeleine pan
- 2 tablespoons flour to prepare the madeleine pan
- ½ cup fresh pineapple finely chopped
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut finely chopped
- 3 extra-large eggs room temperature
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 stick
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter (stovetop or microwave) and set aside. Lightly brush melted butter into your madeleine pan covering all the parts of the shell, and flour the madeleine pans covering all the shells, and tap the excess flour out of the pan. Note: When you reuse your pan for more batches, you will want to wash, dry, and rebutter/flour your pan or the madeleines will stick.
- Finely chop both the pineapple and coconut, set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 8-9 minutes. After beating, the eggs and sugar will be pale and fluffy-smooth. Watch for the "ribbon" stage. When the beater is raised, a thick ribbon will slowly fall back into the bowl.
- Next, add ½ cup melted and cooled butter and blend in for 1 minute, turn off mixer and put away. We will do the rest by hand!
- Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and gently fold ½ at a time into the batter with a rubber spatula. (see notes on folding technique).
- Stir in the finely chopped pineapple and coconut.
- The batter will be thick and sticky. Fill each shell ¾ full with batter using a small 1" ice cream scoop or a generous tablespoon. Don't spread the batter, just place it into the pan.
- Bake on center rack for 10 minutes. This can vary according to the oven itself and pan you use.
- Madeleines are done when they puff up, spring back when pressed slightly, with slightly golden brown edges. They will have a visible bump on top, that means they are baked correctly!
- Tap the madeleines out on a baking rack or piece of parchment paper and allow to cool.
Notes
Madeleine Baking Tips:
- Make Sure Madeleines Don't Stick in the Pan: Even in a non-stick pan, lightly brush melted butter and dust with flour, and knock out excess flour. Or, spray with Coconut Oil non-stick spray before filling the batter into the pan, use a small pastry brush to get softened butter into every crevice of the scallop shells. I like to knock the flour onto a large piece of parchment paper to ease cleanup. It will prevent sticking and help achieve a golden color on the baked madeleines.
- Madeleine Pan: I used a Nonstick-madeleine pan, it was about $25 from Sur La Table. And I still used melted butter and flour to prevent sticking.
- Re-Baking In Your Madeleine Pan: You will want to wash, dry, and rebutter/flour your pan, or the madeleines will stick because of the prior batch.
- Why Sift Dry Ingredients? Puts air into the mixture and prevents lumps.
- Why Fold? Don't stir (which will deflate the batter). Instead, place a rubber spatula into the bowl's center. Cut through to the edge, lift, and turn batter over flour gently. Give the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat until flour is mixed into the batter.
- Filling Batter into the Pan: A small 1" spring cookie scoop works great, 2 regular spoons work as well, or a pastry bag (or ziplock bag with the corner cut off) will make the quickest, neatest work of filling the prepared molds three-quarters full.
- Unmolding the Madeleines: Tap the back of the pan, and the madeleines will pop right out. If any stick, use a small knife to release them out of the pan.
- Make-Ahead: The batter can be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Use Room-temperature eggs: Triple in volume when beaten, cold eggs don't. If you forget, submerge whole eggs in warm water for 10 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.
These are so good! And so pretty! This recipe is a keeper!
Just made a batch - amazingly good! Very tender crumb, and not too sweet!
Just made these and they were incredible!! Such amazing flavor and so easy to make!
when using fresh coconut do you need to use more sugar? The ingredients say sweetened coconut..
Hi Mary, this recipe was tested for sweetened coconut, I am not sure how it will do with fresh coconut? If you try it please let us know, happy baking!
I will eat anything that is pineapple-coconut flavored. And a baked good? If I must ... 😉 These do not disappoint and went oh so well with my Kona coffee. Self-indulgent me moment? Yes please. (Thanks!)