+33 (0)1 40 51 78 18

Monday 30 Apr 2018    French Recipes & more!

A Magnificent Madeleine Recipe

Try out our Madeleine recipe and master a classic French afternoon treat.

"Suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray...my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or tisane." So said Marcel Proust in his famous work In Search of Lost Time, first published in 1913. 

For Proust, the taste of the madeleine brought a flood of memories clearly to mind, a moment shared by so many - that of a favourite treat enjoyed in childhood. All those distinct flavours are magically attached to a time and a place, then stored away in our memory banks to be brought back to life - years, decades or even a lifetime later. Proust's famous passage has become known as The Episode of the Madeleine, an encapsulation of the phenomenon which Proust called involuntary memory.

First mentioned in a cookbook in 1755, we can assume that Madeleines were already wildly popular by that point. And why not? These fluffy, shell-bottomed golden sponges are a delight. That's why we thought we'd share our recipe with you, in the hope that you will go out in search of your own Madeleine Episode, make some memories, and share them with your friends and family for many years to come.

Ingredients

  • 120 g sugar
  • 120 g eggs (about 2)
  • 45 g milk
  • 150 g flour
  • 6 g baking powder
  • 165 g butter, melted

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 230°C.
  • Whisk the eggs and the sugar together. 
  • Add the flour, baking powder, milk and melted butter.
  • Leave to rest. (The Madeleine batter can even be prepared the day before).
  • Coat your Madeleine moulds with butter, then sprinkle flour on top. Knock the moulds on your counter top to remove the excess flour.
  • Fill each Madeleine mould with the batter until they are 2/3 full.
  • Transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 minutes at 230°C. When the ‘bump’ appears on the surface of the Madeleine, lower the temperature down to 200°C.
  • When the Madeleines begin to get a beautiful golden brown colour, remove from the oven, tip out the Madeleines immediately and leave to cool.

Central Paris Location

Last Minute Course Places

25 Jul 2025

  • French Technical Classes / Le Soufflé
  • Le Soufflé

    Au menu:

    a traditional savory Soufflé au Fromage (cheese soufflé)

    plateau of fromage (a selection of fine French cheeses)

    salade with a traditional French vinaigrette

    a delicate and sweet Soufflé au Chocolat (chocolate soufflé)

    After all that hard work (and fun), enjoy lunch with your classmates and a glass of wine while admiring wonderful views across the Seine to Notre Dame.

  • La Cuisine Paris, 80 Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris     Time: 10:30 - 13:00
  • Price: €119.00     Availability: 5+ places left

26 Jul 2025

  • French Baking Classes / French Baguettes and ‘Boulangerie’ Class
  • Three hours of French Bread heaven in the heart of Paris. Learn the tips and tricks to bring the French 'boulangerie' to 'chez vous'!

  • La Cuisine Paris, 80 Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris     Time: 14:00 - 17:00
  • Price: €119.00     Availability: 5+ places left

26 Jul 2025

  • French Macarons / Les Macarons : Technical 3-hour
  • For the serious Macaron lover. Three hours of intensive Macaron time - we will tackle two types of classic macaron shells and four types of classic macaron fillings!

  • La Cuisine Paris, 80 Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris     Time: 14:30 - 17:30
  • Price: €119.00     Availability: 1 place left

26 Jul 2025

  • French Pastry / The Best of French Pastry
  • The perfect three hour experience for those that love the ‘best of’ classic French Pastries. Enjoy creating the delights you find adorning the windows of your favorite Paris Pastry boutiques.

  • La Cuisine Paris, 80 Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris     Time: 14:15 - 17:15
  • Price: €119.00     Availability: 1 place left

How to make the perfect Mayonnaise!

Saturday 22 Mar 2025

La Mayonnaise is the « Mother » sauce of the Cold Emulsion family.
Here we look at how to fix a common problem that you may face when making mayonnaise, and what to do to get your mayonnaise back to its former glory!

Read more

Sign up for Le Chou Chou, our Monthly Newsletter from Paris!

Get in touch

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call on +33 (0)1 40 51 78 18 or email contact@lacuisineparis.com    Click here for further contact details