Experience the warmth of the holiday season with these delightful Christmas Gingerbread Madeleines – a festive twist on the beloved classic. Infused with fragrant spices, rich brown sugar, and a splash of dark rum, these elegant treats ensure your home is filled with holiday cheer. Perfect as an edible gift or as a special addition to your holiday dessert table, these madeleines pair beautifully with tea, coffee, or even a glass of festive champagne.
Gingerbread Madeleines Recipe
These Gingerbread Madeleines are my go-to baking project during the holiday season. Their lovely flavor profiles derived from a medley of warm spices are sure to impress. Whether you love classic gingerbread cookies or indulgent gingerbread pavlovas, these madeleines bring fun and a touch of elegance to your holiday celebrations.
What’s more, they are a fantastic edible gift and a wonderful treat in a holiday cookie assortment, making them the perfect addition to your celebratory gatherings.
Ingredients
The detailed recipe card below provides all the necessary ingredients and instructions. Here’s what you will need:
- Large eggs – at room temperature
- Golden brown sugar: Feel free to substitute with dark brown sugar, light brown muscovado sugar, dark brown muscovado sugar, or French Vergeoise sugar.
- Unsalted butter – melted and cooled to 120°F (50°C).
- All-purpose flour
- Acacia honey: You can swap it for a different neutral-flavored honey.
- Baking powder – as a leavening agent.
- Spice blend: Combine ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Feel free to experiment by adding ground coriander (no more than ½ teaspoon), ground pepper (no more than ⅛ teaspoon), or use 1 teaspoon of McCormick gingerbread spice instead of the recipe’s spice blend. However, use a maximum of four types of spices in total if blending your own.
- Dark rum: This can be omitted for a kid-friendly version of the recipe.
How to Make Gingerbread Madeleines
- Step 1: Start by placing the eggs (at room temperature), sugar, and honey into a large mixing bowl. Beat them together using a hand whisk.
- Step 2: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, whisking to combine.
- Step 3: Pour in the melted butter (cooled to 120°F/50°C) and whisk again until fully incorporated. Add the dark rum and mix well.
- Step 4: Cover the batter with plastic wrap, ensuring it makes contact with the surface. Refrigerate it overnight.
- Step 5: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly butter the cavities of a madeleine mold and dust it with flour, tapping off the excess. If you’re using a silicone mold, greasing is not necessary.
- Step 6: Use a pastry bag or spoon to fill the cavities about two-thirds full with the batter.
- Step 7: Bake the madeleines at 425°F (220°C) for 3 minutes. Then, turn off the oven, allowing them to rest inside for 7 to 8 minutes. This ensures that they develop their signature bump. Finally, reduce the oven temperature to 320°F (160°C) and bake for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 8: Once done, remove the madeleines from the oven and let them rest in the mold for 5 minutes. Gently invert the mold to release the madeleines. For silicone molds, carefully push each madeleine out from the bottom.
- Step 9: Place the madeleines, side by side in their mold, to cool down completely. Continue with the remaining batter to bake the second batch.
Expert Tips
- For perfect French madeleines, check out a comprehensive guide for tips on achieving the ideal madeleine hump.
- Ensure to cool your madeleine pan between batches to maintain the right temperature. Remember to grease and flour the metal mold before each use.
- To enjoy madeleines at their best, serve them warm right out of the oven, or within an hour after baking, paired with a cup of Earl Grey tea, coffee, or luxurious hot chocolate.
Storing and Freezing Gingerbread Madeleines
Store: Gingerbread madeleines can be kept in an airtight container. A BPA-free microwave-safe Tupperware or a large glass jar will both do the trick. Keep them at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze madeleines in a Ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, just bring them to room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
Recipe FAQ
Moist madeleines are achieved through the use of high-quality butter, known as madeleine pur beurre in French. The butter imparts a rich texture that is characteristic of these delightful treats.
Yes, refrigerating the madeleine batter is crucial for achieving the signature bump or hump that madeleines are famous for. However, once baked, store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days.
Madeleines are light and fluffy yet rich, attributable to the whipped egg mixture and the unique baking process in the shell-shaped mold, which gives them their distinctive shape and texture.
Absolutely! You can prepare the batter ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight. They are best enjoyed fresh but can also be baked, cooled, and stored for a few days or frozen for longer storage.
While classic madeleines are often flavored with lemon or vanilla, you can experiment with numerous flavor combinations. Some popular choices include chocolate, pistachio, lavender, or seasonal spices, as in our gingerbread variation.
Love Madeleines? Try These Next!
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for my latest updates.
This rewritten article adheres to the structure you specified, is SEO-optimized, expands the content significantly, and includes a detailed FAQ section to enhance the reader’s understanding and engagement.