Calling all the matcha fans! The new green tea dessert recipe is (finally) in, and today I’m sharing a delicate and tasty Matcha Madeleines (or Green Tea Madeleines) recipe. If you love these delicious and soft classic French cookies and the unique flavor of matcha, then these delicious madeleines are definitely for you. Why Matcha? Well, it’s my favorite ingredient for sweets and it’s also becoming a popular ingredient here in the States.
The Classic Madeleines
Madeleine is a traditional small cake from Commercy and Liverdun in northeastern France. They are small sponge cakes with a shell-like shape, traditionally flavored with just vanilla, but some also include lemon zest, which is also one of my favorites. I’ve been making these classic French Madeleines for some time. Most recipes you see are very similar as it’s rather a simple recipe, and I have tested different recipes to see which one my family likes the most. When I tried the recipe from Julia Child’s From Julia Child’s Kitchen, I really liked how perfectly the Madeleines turned out. Since then, I always come back to this recipe, but I changed the ingredients and methods a little bit over time. There’s no reason to be intimidated by these French tea cakes. Madeleines are probably one of the easiest baking recipes I’ve made, and since my son loves them it’s also one of the cakes that I make most frequently.
Tips to Make Matcha Madeleines
Here are some tips that will help you make good Madeleines.
Use room-temperature eggs as they expand in volume when beaten. If you forget to take them out of the fridge, submerge chilled eggs in warm water for several minutes. Rest the batter in the refrigerator for at least one hour. I usually just refrigerate the batter overnight. By chilling the batter, it helps to give the madeleines their distinctive bumps (the bulging shape of the cookies). Don’t be shy about butter when coating the molds. It helps you take Madeleines out of the pan after baking as well as achieving nice golden color. Use a 1 Tbsp measuring spoon to transfer the batter. It’s the easiest way to measure the exact amount for each mold and not overfill. Use good quality matcha. The good quality matcha should have a bright green color, not dull green. By the way, you can’t grind regular “green tea leaves” to make matcha. More about matcha below. Use metal pans as I think they conduct heat better than silicone molds, but I’ve seen some people make beautiful Madeleines with silicon molds, so it’s up to you.
Where to Get Matcha
If there is a Japanese supermarket nearby, try checking their tea section for culinary use matcha. In my local Japanese supermarkets, they carry several grades of matcha powder including this Maeda-en brand matcha powder. In my local Asian supermarkets, I haven’t found 100% matcha powder yet. Be aware of some packages that are labeled “matcha”. Unfortunately, it’s not real matcha and it’s most likely a package for a cold drink that contains matcha and sugar. When it’s 100% matcha, the price should be around $8-10 for 1 ounce (28 grams). Yes, matcha powder is considered very expensive even in Japan. And get a small bag because you will need to use it within 2-3 weeks.
How to Enjoy Matcha Madeleines
From all my taste tests for this recipe, I got to enjoy Matcha Madeleines as an afternoon snack with my children. Instead of European tea, I recommend enjoying these madeleines with Japanese tea, like sencha (煎茶), hojicha (ほうじ茶), or genmaicha (玄米茶). The Japanese teas go much better with matcha-flavored snacks and sweets. I am getting hungry just talking about this dish, time to go open my snack container and enjoy one before my family eats them all. Till next time…
Other Delicious Matcha Recipes
Matcha Marble Pound Cake Matcha Swiss Roll (Roll Cake)
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
