Rose Madeleines
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Rose Madeleines with rose water glaze is a unique twist on the classic madeleine recipe. They are little soft, buttery cakes with irresistible sweet floral flavor and aroma.
Homemade madeleines are the little things that bring me the most joy. There is just something special about homemade madeleines. These little French cakes are not only delicious and buttery, but they are also pretty easy to make.
This time, I decided to give the Vanilla Madeleines a little makeover and used rose water to give these little treats a subtle rose flavor. For a stronger rose flavor, I brushed the madeleines with rose water glaze and decorated them with edible dried rose petals. They turned out so pretty and like a work of art!
What Is Rose Water?
Rose water is a flavored liquid distilled from fresh rose petals. It is a pantry staple throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. Fresh rose petals are simmered with water and the resulting steam is captured via condensation. Rose water made this way is incredibly potent and will last for a long time when stored correctly.
An easier way to make rose water is to simmer the rose petals in water and then strain out the rose petals and save the water. This version is less fragrant and more diluted. It will lose its flavor and aroma in a few days but will still add a nice touch to your food.
Ingredients You Need
- Unsalted butter. Using high-quality butter in madeleines is simply essential, even more so as the butter is what brings the flavor to them. For the best result, use European-style butter which has less water, higher fat content, and richer flavor. It will really make a difference here.
- Eggs. Make sure you use room-temperature eggs because they blend more evenly in batters.
- Castor sugar. You can also replace it with granulated sugar. I used castor sugar because it blends more easily than granulated sugar.
- Honey. It helps keep the madeleines moist and makes them taste more flavorful.
- Rose water. To give the madeleines the rose flavor. Do not add more than you need because rose water can become overpowering quickly. Make sure you buy food-grade rose water as well. If it says “for external use only” on the bottle, don’t use it. I recommend checking prior to buying it since many are intended for cosmetic use.
- Cake flour. Cake flour is ideal for baked goods with a tender texture due to its low gluten content. You can also use all-purpose flour to substitute cake flour.
- Baking powder. It is an ingredient responsible for forming the madeleine’s hump.
- Confectioners’ sugar. Mix confectioners’ sugar, rose water, and water to make the rose water glaze.
- Pink food coloring. To give the glaze pink color.
Choosing Madeleine Pan
You absolutely need one or two madeleine pans to make the signature scallop shape of the madeleines. You can find different madeleine molds made from metal or silicone. Metal pans are great for their excellent heat transfer. In addition, choose a non-stick pan so that the madeleines can be released easily from the pan.
Baking Tips
- Temperature matters. Make sure you use room-temperature eggs and slightly warm melted butter as written in the recipe. They will help combine other ingredients more cohesively.
- Rest the dough. The batter must be refrigerated for at least 1 hour or overnight. The purpose of this is to chill the batter which also thickens it. This is what creates the signature hump on the madeleines – the shock of the heat hitting the cold batter, and the thicker batter which allows the cake to rise faster.
- Don’t overfill the molds. You should fill them about 80-90% full for the best result.
- Keep an eye on them as they bake. Madeleines are quick to bake. You only need 10-12 minutes to have them risen and golden brown.
More Madeleine Recipes
- Pandan Coconut Madeleines
- Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines
- Chocolate Madeleines
- Pistachio Madeleines With White Chocolate Shell
- Lemon Madeleines
Ingredients
Rose Madeleines
- 7 tbsp (100 gr) unsalted butter, melted, at 40-50°C
- 2 (100 gr) eggs, room temperature
- 7 tbsp (90 gr) castor sugar
- 1/2 tbsp (10 gr) honey, optional
- 1/2 tsp rose water
- 13 tbsp (100 gr) cake flour
- 1 tsp (4 gr) baking powder
Glaze
- 1/2 cup (65 gr) confectioners' sugar
- 3-4 drops rose water
- 3-4 tsp water
- 1-2 drops pink food coloring, optional
- Edible dried rose petals
Instructions
Rose Madeleines
- In a large bowl, add eggs, castor sugar, honey, and rose water. Using a whisk, mix them lightly for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved.
- Sift in cake flour and baking powder. Whisk until well combined.
- Add melted butter and whisk until well incorporated.
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and chill the batter for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400F/200°C. Grease a non-stick madeleine pan with butter. If you are not using a non-stick pan, grease the pan with butter and dust the wells with flour lightly.
- Remove the batter from the fridge. Using a spatula, mix to loosen the batter and remove the air bubbles.
- Transfer the batter into a piping bag and pipe the batter into the molds until 80-90% full. You can also alternatively spoon the batter into the molds.
- Place the filled madeleine pan into the preheated oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350F/180°C. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they have risen and golden brown.
- Remove madeleines from the pan immediately. Cool completely.
Glaze
- In a medium bowl, sift the confectioners' sugar. Add rose water and water. Mix until a thick white paste forms. You can adjust the consistency by adding more water to make the glaze thinner or confectioners' sugar to make it thicker.
- Brush the hump side of the madeleines with the glaze. Sprinkle with dried rose petals.
- Place the madeleines with the hump side up to set the glaze.
Beautiful rose flavor but not too overpowering