Matcha (green tea) madeleines are a beautiful and delicious twist to the lovely traditional French small cakes. When you bite into these, you’ll immediately notice that they’re slightly crunchy on the rims and soft and spongy on the inside, which is a joy in itself. The matcha flavor and aroma will then fill your mouth. Once you swallow, you’ll be left with a wonderfully complex aftertaste of slightly sweet and slightly bitter, and you’ll start thinking wow, these would go really well with tea. Probably an Asian tea to go with the theme, but really any tea. So next time you will know that you should have your tea ready before you embark on devouring the matcha madeleines!

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Matcha Madeleine

Ingredients

For the batter

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon matcha powder
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 1 tablespoon whole milk room temperature

For baking

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for coating the pan
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for dusting the pan
• 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

Make the batter [1 day ahead]

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
• Transfer the melted butter to a small bowl and let it cool.
• In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and matcha powder. Mix well with a whisk.
  
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
  
• Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not over-mix.
  
• Add half of the cooled melted butter to the batter. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Add the rest of the melted butter and stir again until just combined. Do not over-mix.
  
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight if possible.

Bake the madeleines

• Place the oven rack in the center slot and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or until the butter melts.
• Brush the melted butter in each mold of the madeleine pan using a pastry brush.
• Put the flour through a fine mesh strainer and lightly dust the flour over the buttered molds.
• Take the batter out of the refrigerator. Using a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon and a small rubber spatula, fill each mold in the madeleine pan with 1-tablespoon of the batter. Leave the batter as lumps in the middle of the mold as they will melt to shape in the oven.
  
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes (convection oven) or until the edges of the madeleines are slightly browned and the top of the madeleines spring back when touched.
• Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool for 3 minutes.
  
• Gently lift and remove the madeleines from the molds using a table knife and transfer them onto a cooling rack. Cool the madeleines to slightly warm to the touch, or to room temperature.
• Just before serving, dust the tops with confectioner’s sugar (optional).

To store

• Store in a airtight container for 24 hours.
• To freeze, wrap each madeleine in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost the madeleines at room temperature, then dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.