SweetloreEncyclopedia of World Sweets (534）
Madeleine
Madeleine
The shell mold and its swelling, and the story of Commercy
Baked Sweets ／ France
One side is marked with radiating grooves, while the other swells into a rounded hump. The madeleine is a French cake made by baking a batter of eggs, sugar, flour and butter in small molds. It is known as a specialty of Commercy and Liverdun in the Lorraine region, and it spread through sales at railway stations. It also appears in a scene from a literary work in which taste and aroma bring memories of the past back to life.
The Grooves of the Mold and the Swelling at the Center
The shell pattern is the impression the grooves of the mold leave on the batter during baking. As the cake bakes, the center rises; the side in contact with the mold takes on grooves, and the opposite side forms a rounded hump. The shape also changes depending on the dimensions of the mold, the amount of batter used, and how the batter is rested. Lemon and orange-blossom scents have been handed down in Commercy, and some modern professional recipes (recettes: ingredient proportions and method) finish the cakes by dipping part of each one in chocolate after baking.
A Batter Made with Whole Eggs and Melted Butter
Whereas a typical financier is built around egg whites, almonds and browned butter, the madeleine uses a whole-egg batter. Beyond the outward shape, whether gold bar or seashell, the way egg yolks, nuts and fat are handled changes the aroma and texture.
In a modern lemon-flavored recipe from Valrhona, zest is grated into the sugar, which is then combined with whole eggs, honey and cream; melted butter is added after the flour and leavening agent, and the batter is refrigerated overnight. Because the citrus peel is first worked into the sugar, the aroma comes through differently than when only juice is added later.
In a recipe using praliné, milk and nut paste are mixed together vigorously, a little at a time, melted butter is then added, and this mixture is folded into the batter of eggs and flour. This recipe calls for 12 hours of refrigeration. The two recipes also differ in baking temperature and time. The mixing method and baking conditions are adjusted to suit how honey, cream, milk and nuts are used.
The madeleines of Paris Ogawaken in Shimbashi and Meguro are made with marzipan, honey, eggs and butter. An almond-and-sugar paste is added, and the cakes are crafted to bring out the aroma of honey and butter.
A Warmed and Mixed Batter Recorded in an 1815 Cookbook
In the method described in Carême’s Le Pâtissier royal parisien, published in 1815, citron peel is rubbed against sugar, and whole eggs and egg yolks, flour and liquor are combined. Each mold is brushed one by one with clarified butter, the rest of the butter is mixed into the batter, and the batter is set over low heat and taken off the heat once it reaches a flowing consistency. Unlike the modern method of refrigerating overnight, this procedure warms the batter so that the fat blends in.
The same book also includes variations with raisins, pistachios and candied citron, as well as a method of coating one side with icing. Some are even hollowed out from the underside and filled with nuts and apricot marmalade, or with chocolate or vanilla cream. In the 19th century, too, a wide variety of madeleines were made, with different flavorings or with fillings inside.
The 1755 Record and the Legends of Two Madeleines
Menon’s Les Soupers de la cour, from 1755, includes a “gâteau à la Madeleine.” It is made by working together flour, butter, whole eggs, sugar, citrus and other ingredients, then shaping the dough into small pieces and coating them with icing; it neither specifies a shell-shaped mold nor describes any person from Commercy. Although the name is the same, the description of its form differs from that of the later shell-shaped cake.
Meanwhile, there is a famous legend set at the court of Stanislas, Duke of Lorraine, around 1755. As the story goes, the steward and the pastry cook quarreled at a dinner, and the cook left, taking the dessert with him; a young servant, Madeleine Paulmier, hurriedly baked her grandmother’s little cakes, and the duke named them after her.
In another version reported by a bakery and pastry trade paper, Stanislas revives the cakes of Madeleine Simonin, who had served Cardinal de Retz a century earlier. The version in which Paulmier bakes on the spot and saves the day and the version in which Simonin’s cakes from the previous century were revived differ in when the cakes came about and in how they reached the court. Both the Paulmier and the Simonin stories have been handed down as legends of the madeleine’s birth.
Commercy Madeleines Spread by Rail
It was the railway that set Commercy madeleines spreading to other regions. According to the town’s historical overview, the Paris–Strasbourg line opened in 1852, and sales were permitted on the platform at Commercy station. During stops of a few minutes, madeleines were sold through open train windows and carried with passengers to distant places. Station sales continued until the mid-20th century.
Liverdun, also in Lorraine, has its own separate history of production and packaging. An exhibition by the regional library traces local production back to 1870 and states that boxes depicting a woman painted by the Nancy artist Jean Scherbeck later became a hallmark. In addition to plain, there are mirabelle and bergamot flavors, and the madeleine has been carried on as a specialty in Liverdun, separately from Commercy.
Memory Revived by Taste and Aroma, as Depicted by Proust
In Swann’s Way (Du côté de chez Swann), the first volume of Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, published in 1913, the taste of a madeleine dipped in tea brings back to the narrator the Combray of his childhood. What he recalls is the small piece he was once given by his Aunt Léonie. A memory that had not returned at the mere sight of the cake revives through its taste and aroma, and expands into the sensations of the town and of daily life.
This scene was not written with a madeleine from the start. Drafts from 1907–1909 also passed through versions with old bread, toast and biscotte. The small cake that Proust chose in the course of rewriting became a symbol of memory that revives, prompted by taste or aroma, even without any conscious effort to recall.
The British Madeleine, Coated in Jam and Coconut
The British madeleine of the same name is tall and shows no shell grooves. For Prue Leith’s English madeleines, soft butter and sugar are creamed together, whole eggs, self-raising flour and vanilla are added, and the cakes are baked in deep dariole molds. Once cooled, they are trimmed flat and stood on their wide end; warmed cherry jam is spread over the sides and top, they are coated in desiccated coconut, and a glacé cherry is placed on top. Although it shares its name with the French madeleine, it is a cake that differs in the shape of the mold and in the ingredients covering its surface.
Glossary
- Menon
- An 18th-century French cookbook author. He recorded the “gâteau à la Madeleine” in Les Soupers de la cour, published in 1755.
- Stanislas / Madeleine Paulmier / Madeleine Simonin
- The former King of Poland who became Duke of Lorraine, and two women who appear in differing legends about the origin of the small cake bearing that name.
- Cardinal de Retz
- Jean-François Paul de Gondi, a 17th-century politician and cleric. He appears in another origin story associated with Commercy.
- Carême
- A 19th-century French chef and pastry cook. Author of Le Pâtissier royal parisien.
- Citron
- A citrus fruit with a thick, fragrant peel.
- Clarified butter
- Butter from which the water and milk solids have been separated, leaving mainly the butterfat. It differs from browned butter.
- Prue Leith
- A British writer who shares cooking and baking knowledge. Her English madeleine recipe is published through a television program.
- Dariole mold
- A small, deep mold that is wide at the top and tapers slightly toward the bottom.
- Praliné
- A confectionery ingredient made by processing nuts and sugar. Some recipes mix an almond and hazelnut paste into the batter.
- Browned butter
- Butter heated until its milk solids color and give off aroma. An ingredient of the financier used here for comparison.
- Commercy / Liverdun
- Towns in the Lorraine region of northeastern France. Both are known for making madeleines.
- Jean Scherbeck
- A painter from Nancy who painted the woman pictured on the Liverdun madeleine boxes.
- Mirabelle / bergamot
- The former is a small yellow plum, and the latter is a fragrant citrus fruit. Both are also used as flavors for the region’s madeleines.
- Combray / Aunt Léonie
- The childhood setting of Swann’s Way, and the character who gives the madeleine. Combray is distinct from Commercy, the town where madeleines are made.
- Marcel Proust
- The author of In Search of Lost Time. He used the madeleine in a scene where sensation and memory are linked.
- Paris Ogawaken
- A confectionery shop in Shimbashi and Meguro. This article discusses the madeleine, as published by the shop, made with marzipan, honey, eggs and butter.
- Marzipan
- A paste-like ingredient made by kneading almonds and sugar together. It is added to batters or shaped and used for decoration.
Parade'sHoney Madeleine / Madeleine le miel
The “Honey Madeleine” from Cafe & Sweets Parade Kyoto, a patisserie in Fushimi-Momoyama, Kyoto, offers the natural sweetness of honey and the moist texture of rice flour.
The natural deliciousness of premium “Sakura” eggs from purely Japanese-bred hens, rich butter, and a generous amount of purely domestic Japanese natural honey fills your mouth with every bite of this honey madeleine. Particular care goes into the baking method to bring out the honey flavor even more, and the batter, made with Japanese rice flour, is finished with a moist and chewy (mochi-mochi) texture. Because it is made with rice flour, it has a lower GI value than wheat flour and is gluten-free. While you stay mindful of your health, it is also ideal as an everyday baked treat.
Parade'sMascarpone and Raspberry Madeleine / Madeleine au mascarpone et framboise
The “Mascarpone and Raspberry Madeleine” from Parade, a pastry shop in Fushimi-Momoyama, Kyoto, layers the richness of mascarpone with sweet-tart raspberries.
This madeleine has a refreshing flavor. It brings together high-quality “Sakura” eggs from purely Japanese-bred hens, rich butter, the natural sweetness of honey and the smooth texture of mascarpone cheese with Parade’s homemade sweet-tart raspberry confiture. Because it is gluten-free, it is an ideal everyday baked treat for people who are mindful of their health.
Parade'sMadeleine Chocolat / Madeleines au chocolat
Our Madeleine Chocolat, made by Cafe & Sweets Parade Kyoto, a Western-style pastry shop in Fushimi-Momoyama, Kyoto, draws out the rich natural aroma and deep flavor of cacao.
We generously use 2 kinds of chocolate carefully selected from Valrhona of France. We have also paid close attention to the batter’s proportions and the baking so that the madeleines taste rich without feeling heavy. For sweetness, we use plenty of natural honey produced entirely in Japan. Its gentle sweetness, which softens the sharp edge of sugar, brings out the depth of the chocolate, giving a well-balanced flavor that adults and children alike can enjoy. The batter is made with Japanese rice flour and is gluten-free, with no wheat flour. Other appealing qualities are the moist texture unique to rice flour and its low GI, which makes it gentle on the body.
Parade's[White Day 2024] Madeleine au Chocolat Blanc / Madeleine au chocolat blanc
The “Madeleine au Chocolat Blanc” is a 2024 White Day limited-edition item from Cafe & Sweets Parade Kyoto, a patisserie in Fushimi-Momoyama, Kyoto.
This madeleine lets you enjoy the rich, aromatic flavor of cacao from a generous use of 2 kinds of chocolate carefully selected from Valrhona of France, along with the richness that comes from the milk fat in white chocolate.
It is made with plenty of purely domestic (Japanese) natural honey for a moderate sweetness, so adults and children alike can enjoy it.
It is also a gluten-free, low-GI product made with rice flour, so you can enjoy it while taking care of your health.
Parade's[Valentine 2024] Madeleine Chocolat / Madeleines au chocolat
Madeleine Chocolat is a limited-edition item for Valentine’s Day 2024, created by Cafe & Sweets Parade Kyoto, a patisserie in Fushimi-Momoyama, Kyoto.
These madeleines are made with a generous amount of 2 types of chocolate carefully selected from Valrhona of France, giving them a rich cacao flavor.
We use plenty of pure domestic Japanese natural honey to give them just the right sweetness, so both adults and children can enjoy them.
They are also a gluten-free, low-GI product made with rice flour, so you can enjoy them while being mindful of your health.
