Madeleines are shell-shaped sponge cakes that taste fantastic with a dose of lychee flavor. Besides lychee extract in the batter, there is hibiscus tea–steeped lychee juice in the glaze. Topping the madeleines with dried rose petals really accentuates the fruit’s floral notes. I baked these for the first time in April 2021 for a collaboration dessert box with my friends at Bowl Cut Table, a cooking and baking collective based in New York. Since we were doing a spring-themed box, I wanted to contribute a dessert that was light, fruity, and featured some type of flower to go with a season of everything in bloom. They were such a huge success that I have done countless batches since then. I was honored that my friend Reenie even asked me to make 150 of these for her wedding. You don’t need an occasion to whip up lychee madeleines, but they are showstoppers on any dessert table.

From Mayumu by Abi Balingit. Copyright © 2023 by Abigail Balingit. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Ingredients

  • 10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon of baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • ⅔ cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of lychee extract

  • ¼ cup of lychee juice
  • 1 hibiscus tea bag
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • Dried rose petals, for garnish
Cookware Used
Holy Sheet
Nonstick Half-Sheet Pan
$40$30
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Big Chill Duo
Half-Sheet Nonstick Cooling Rack
$50$40
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Stir Crazy
3-Piece Nested Mixing Bowl Set
$95$60
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1. Place 1 stick of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula as the butter melts and continue to cook until it gets golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the browned butter into a medium bowl and let cool slightly.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

3. In a clean and dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture reaches the ribbon stage, 8 to 10 minutes. This results in a thick and pale yellow mixture. Whisk in the lychee extract.

4. Using a large sieve, sift one-third of the dry ingredients into the bowl with the egg mixture. Gently fold them into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula. Repeat the process twice more until all of the flour mixture is incorporated into the batter.

5. Measure ½ cup of the batter and add it to the medium bowl with the cooled butter. Proceed to whisk it into the butter until it becomes a homogenous mixture. Fold the tempered butter mixture into the remaining batter until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Chilling the batter overnight is key for creating those classic madeleine humps.

6. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. 

7. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 10-second intervals until completely melted. Using a pastry brush, brush the wells of a madeleine pan with the melted butter. Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each well. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Immediately remove the madeleines from the pan and place shell-side up on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat the process until all the madeleine batter is baked.

8. In a small saucepan, heat the lychee juice over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, add the hibiscus tea bag and turn off the heat. Let the tea bag sit for at least 10 minutes. Discard the tea bag and pour the steeped juice in a small bowl.

9. In another small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of the lychee juice, adding up to 1 more tablespoon of the lychee juice until it becomes a smooth glaze.

10. Take each madeleine and dip at a diagonal into the glaze. Put madeleines back on the wire rack and immediately sprinkle each with dried rose petals. Leave on the rack for at least 30 minutes, until the glaze has set. Serve at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.