Madeleine Inspired Melting Moments Recipe

I took a classic Melting Moments cookie and baked it in mini madeleines with a single clever swap that gives my Madeleines Recipe a surprising new twist.

I cant wait to share this little surprise with you: Madeleine Inspired Melting Moments. Imagine the scalloped charm of a madeleine reworked into a tender melting cookie, with unsalted butter and a hint of cornflour that makes them practically disappear on your tongue.

They look like Madeleines Cookies but the texture catches people off guard, begging for a smear of buttercream or a dot of jam if you want to be decadent. I kept thinking about Delicious Cake Flavor Combinations while tasting them, and honestly they feel fancy but somehow dangerously simple, the sort of thing you keep reaching for.

Ingredients

• unsalted butter, rich in fat and calories, gives creaminess and tender crumb.
• icing sugar, nearly pure sucrose, makes cookies very sweet and gives fine texture.
• cornflour, mostly starch, creates a melt in mouth crumb, low in protein and fiber.
• plain flour supplies carbs and some protein, it adds structure but little fiber.
• jam adds bright sweet tart flavor, sugars and tiny fruit bits, some vitamins.
• buttercream, mostly butter and sugar, super sweet and creamy, packs lots of calories.
• vanilla extract gives aroma and perceived sweetness, almost no nutrition, just flavor.

Ingredient Quantities

• Cookies
  • 250 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (120 g) icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 1 cup plain all purpose flour
  • Pinch of fine salt

• Buttercream filling
  • 125 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 g) icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream

• Jam
  • 1/3 cup raspberry or strawberry jam

• Optional
  • Extra icing sugar for dusting

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Generously grease a mini madeleine pan with softened butter or nonstick spray and dust with a little flour, tap out excess.

2. In a bowl beat 250 g softened unsalted butter with 1 cup 120 g sifted icing sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes, then beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

3. Sift together 2 cups cornflour and 1 cup plain all purpose flour with a pinch of fine salt, then fold the dry mix into the butter mixture with a spatula until it just comes together into a soft dough. Dont overmix.

4. If the dough feels very soft pop it in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes so it firms up, this helps the cookies keep their shape in the shells.

5. Spoon or pipe the dough into the prepared mini madeleine wells, filling each about 3 quarters full. Piping with a round tip gives neater shapes but a spoon works fine too.

6. Chill the filled pan in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes if you have time, this reduces spreading and helps the little cookies keep their delicate ridges.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 9 to 11 minutes or until the edges are set and the tops look matte and just barely colored. Dont overbake these, they should stay pale and tender. Cool in the pan 2 to 3 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Make the buttercream while the cookies cool: beat 125 g softened unsalted butter until smooth, then add 1 1/2 cups 180 g sifted icing sugar a little at a time, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream until you get a smooth pipeable but still firm consistency.

9. To assemble pair similar sized cookies, pipe a small ring of buttercream onto one cookie, spoon a small dot of 1/3 cup raspberry or strawberry jam into the center of the ring so it stays put, then sandwich with the matching cookie. Chill briefly so the filling sets.

10. Dust with extra icing sugar if you like, store in an airtight container in a single layer or separated with parchment at room temperature for a few days or in the fridge for longer. Bring to room temp before serving for the best melt in your mouth texture.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (set to 170°C / 340°F)
2. Mini madeleine pan (greased and floured)
3. Mixing bowls (one large one small)
4. Electric mixer or hand beaters
5. Sieve or fine mesh strainer for icing sugar and dry ingredients
6. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon for folding the dough
7. Piping bag with a round tip or a small spoon for filling wells
8. Wire cooling rack and fridge for chilling and setting

FAQ

Madeleine Inspired Melting Moments Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Unsalted butter
  • Salted butter – use same weight, just skip the pinch of salt.
  • Vegan block butter (plant based) – 1:1 swap, chill before shaping so cookies dont spread too much.
• Cornflour (cornstarch)
  • Tapioca or potato starch – use 1:1, keeps that melt in your mouth texture.
  • Arrowroot – 1:1, good if you want a slightly clearer, softer crumb.
• Plain all purpose flour
  • Cake flour – for extra tender cookies use cake flour cup for cup, the result will be lighter.
  • Gluten free 1:1 baking blend – use cup for cup, but pick a blend that already has xanthan or guar for best texture.
• Raspberry or strawberry jam
  • Apricot jam or lemon curd – both give a bright tangy note that cuts the richness.
  • Chocolate hazelnut spread – for a richer, kid friendly sandwich cookie.

Pro Tips

– Chill is your friend. If the dough or the filled pan feels soft, pop it in the fridge for 10 to 30 minutes. That little chill really helps the cookies hold the madeleine ridges and stops them from spreading into blobs, plus it makes piping neater.

– Use a piping bag or a small scoop for consistent sizes. A round tip gives much cleaner shapes than spooning, and matching cookie sizes makes sandwiches look tidy. If your buttercream is too soft, stick the bag in the fridge for 5 minutes so it holds a ring shape better.

– Fix buttercream on the fly. If it’s too runny add a little more sifted icing sugar, too stiff add 1 teaspoon milk at a time. If the jam starts to bleed, pipe a buttercream ring first then put the jam in the center so it stays put.

– Don’t overbake and store smart. Pull them when they’re still pale and just set, they should feel tender not browned. Once filled, keep them in a single layer or separated with parchment at room temp for a few days, or in the fridge for longer. Bring to room temp before serving so they’re melt in your mouth.