Sea shell madeleines

What would you say if we told you you could bake madeleines in sea shells? Do sweet treats get much more alluring than that? Save your scallop shells, people!

Sea shell madeleines

Recipe writer Emily Scott says: “Let’s stop and enjoy a quiet moment… I have tried to perfect these beautiful light sponges, for which I have had great affection over the years. Hot from the oven and brushed with warm apricot jam, one is never enough. I use recycled scallop shells as madeleine moulds and they work beautifully.”

Recipe taken from Tide & Tide: Recipes and Stories from my Coastal Kitchen by Emily Scott (Hardie Grant £28)

  • Serves icon Makes 12
  • Time icon Hands-on time 10 min, plus at least 1 hour resting; Oven time 10 min

What would you say if we told you you could bake madeleines in sea shells? Do sweet treats get much more alluring than that? Save your scallop shells, people!

Recipe writer Emily Scott says: “Let’s stop and enjoy a quiet moment… I have tried to perfect these beautiful light sponges, for which I have had great affection over the years. Hot from the oven and brushed with warm apricot jam, one is never enough. I use recycled scallop shells as madeleine moulds and they work beautifully.”

Recipe taken from Tide & Tide: Recipes and Stories from my Coastal Kitchen by Emily Scott (Hardie Grant £28)

Nutrition: Per madeleine

Calories
148kcals
Fat
7.9g (4.6g saturated)
Protein
2.2g
Carbohydrates
17g (10g sugars)
Fibre
0.5g
Salt
0.1g

Ingredients

  • 100g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
  • 100g plain flour, plus extra to dust
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • 2 large free-range eggs
  • Finely grated zest 1 lemon
  • 100g golden caster sugar, plus extra to dust
  • 3 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
  • Icing sugar to dust

Specialist kit

  • Madeleine tray or clean scallop shells
Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. Gently melt the butter in a pan, then allow to cool. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, then add a pinch of salt. Combine the eggs, lemon zest and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on a medium speed until the mixture thickens. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet, then pour in the melted cooled butter and stir together.
  2. Cover and chill the batter in the fridge for at least an hour or ideally overnight.
  3. Heat the oven to 180°C/gas 6. Grease and dust your madeleine tin or clean scallop shells with butter and sugar. Ladle the batter into the tin/shells and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
  4. Eat warm, brushed with the warmed apricot jam and dusted with icing sugar.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
148kcals
Fat
7.9g (4.6g saturated)
Protein
2.2g
Carbohydrates
17g (10g sugars)
Fibre
0.5g
Salt
0.1g

delicious. tips

  1. I love madeleines this way, but of course dipping the ends in melted chocolate is also extraordinarily good.

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

Subscribe

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Rate & review

Rate

Reviews

Share a tip

Or, how about...?

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Cherries

Cherry madeleines with hot toffee sauce

These beautiful cherry madeleines come with a boozy toffee sauce...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Make-ahead desserts

Blood orange jellies with madeleines and chantilly cream

The beautiful citrussy flavour of these jellies, served with zesty...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Afternoon tea

Madeleines with a lemon and thyme drizzle

These light and elegant homemade madeleines are drizzled in a...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Afternoon tea

Strawberry madeleines with lemon drizzle

These dainty strawberry and lemon drizzle madeleines are the perfect...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Platinum Jubilee

Lemon madeleines with gin and Dubonnet sorbet

France-based food writer Debora Robertson’s recipe for lemon madeleines with...

Subscribe to our magazine

Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.

Subscribe

Unleash your inner chef

Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter

We treat your data with care. See our privacy policy. By signing up, you are agreeing to delicious.’ terms and conditions. Unsubscribe at any time.