Recipe Research: Classic French Madeleines

Recipe Overview

Ingredients

• ½ cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, plus 2 Tbsp (28g) for greasing the pan
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (115g) sifted all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• Optional: confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Melt ½ cup (113g) butter and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Using a mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high speed for about 8 minutes until pale, thick, and ribbon-like. Beat in lemon zest and vanilla.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Gently fold into the egg mixture in two additions.
4. Stir ¼ cup of the batter into the melted butter, then fold the butter mixture back into the remaining batter until smooth.
5. Cover and chill the batter for 30–60 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Brush the madeleine pan with the remaining melted butter.
7. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon of batter into the center of each mold without spreading.
8. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
9. Invert the pan to release the madeleines and transfer to a rack to cool slightly.
10. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, and serve warm.

Source attribution: Sally's Baking Addiction – Madeleines

Sample Imagery

Website References

Recipe Websites

Sally’s Baking Addiction

This site uses a balance of approachable language, detailed explanations of each step, and visual cues to help keep the site easy to follow. Their choice of fonts, images, color theme also contribute to the lightheartedness of the site.

King Arthur Baking

King Arthur Baking provides highly reliable recipes and the site emphasizes technique and accuracy, making it a strong reference for instructional clarity. In terms of design, the site is simple, clearly spaced, and almost rectangularly boxed between each sub category making it easier for users. This site also includes various different madeleine recipes beyond the classic ones.

bon appétit

Slightly different than the previous two, bon appétit's site elevates recipes through confident typography and a more classy color scheme. The layout makes simple recipes feel refined and aspirational rather than purely functional. The site also provides various reviews from previous users which can be helpful.

Non-Recipe Websites

Apple

I was inspired by Apple's site after discussions about their intentional choice of images that guide the users eyes to a specific area of the screen. Additionally, Apple's use of hierarchy, consistent spacing, and color contrast can also translate well to organizing recipe steps and instructions.

Aesop

Aesop’s website uses minimal typography, muted colors, and generous spacing to create a calm, focused reading experience. The site avoids visual clutter and places emphasis on content and structure, which could inspire a recipe design that feels intentional, clean, and ingredient-focused.

Notion

Notion’s website uses rounded edges, soft visual elements, and simple typography as well, which makes the site feel more approachable and casual. This design choice creates a friendly and inviting interface, and could inform a recipe layout that feels easy to use for beginners.