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    You Are Here Home » Sweets Recipes

    Published: Nov 7, 2021 Updated: Nov 26, 2021 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 4 Comments

    Black Forest Tea-Infused Madeleine Cookies

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    Madeleine cookies pin

    Madeleine Cookies are shell-shaped French tea cakes with crispy edges and a cakey texture. My Black Forest Tea-Infused Cherry Madeleine Cookies recipe can be prepared in under 30 minutes, yet is elegant enough to serve at a formal tea or brunch. They're perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

    Black Forest tea infused Madeleine cookies on a plate

    If you've never watched Downton Abbey (paid link) before, let me just say, you're missing out! My daughter even has a tradition of rewatching the entire series every year! So when I found a Downton Abbey Tea Cookbook I knew I had to buy it for her.

    I browsed through the book online and found a classic Madeleine pastries recipe that looked promising. I bought the book for Nena, along with a Madeleine mold so that we could bake the cookies during my visit to San Diego.

    This Madeleine Cookie recipe is inspired by the recipe in the book, but we decided to take it to a whole new level. For starters, we infused a Black Forest tea into the cookies. We also replaced the vanilla extract with almond extract and added orange zest and dried cherries into the batter. Finally, we dipped them in dark chocolate. I encrusted some of them with chopped almonds. The end result was fantastic!

    Why This Recipe Works

    These Black Forest Tea-Infused Cherry Madeleine Cookies are so easy to prepare, and definitely a beginner-friendly recipe! You don't need a stand mixer or even a hand mixer. What you do need is 30 minutes, a bowl, a whisk, and of course, a Madeleine mold (paid link).

    The simple batter does not need to rest for hours as some Madeleine recipes do, however, a little resting time (say around 10 minutes) seems to do the trick. Although the Madeleines are tea-infused with Black Forest loose tea, you can substitute cherry-flavored tea if you need to.

    What Goes Into This Recipe

    Black Forest tea infused Madeleine cookies ingredients, labeled

    Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Butter — This recipe calls for unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, leave out the amount of salt that the recipe calls for.
    • Tea — If you have black forest tea, great! If not, you can find a link to where you can purchase some online towards the bottom of the page. You can also use cherry-flavored tea instead.
    • Dried Cherries — To keep with the black forest flavors, we added dried cherries to the batter. If you have to, you can use dried cranberries instead.
    • Orange Zest — Lemon zest can be substituted for Orange zest.
    • Dark Chocolate — Instead of dark chocolate, you can use semi-sweet or white chocolate chips. Or, dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar.
    • Nuts (optional) — Chopped almonds, pistachios, or walnuts can be used to encrust the chocolate-covered Madeleines before they set.
    • Almond Extract — The almond extract has a distinct flavor that compliments the cookies, however, pure vanilla extract can be substituted in a pinch.

    Step 1 | Infuse Tea

    Preheat oven to 375° F

    Add tea to a small bowl or cup and pour ¼ cup boiling water over it. Allow it to steep for 5 minutes. 

    loose tea in a bowl
    tea in a small bowl

    Step 2 | Melt the Butter

    Melt butter in the microwave (15 to 30 seconds) and allow it to cool down but not solidify.

    butter melted
    melted butter in a cup

    Step 3 | Butter Madeleine Mold

    Brush Madeleine mold with melted butter and set it aside until needed.

    Madeleine mold

    Step 4 | Whisk Eggs and Sugar

    In a large bowl, vigorously whisk eggs, sugar, orange zest, almond extract, and salt for a minute or two until light and fluffy. 

    eggs, sugar, and orange zest in a bowl
    eggs being whisked in a bowl

    Step 5 | Add Tea

    Add 2 teaspoons of tea and 1 tablespoon of the tea leaves to the batter. Mix to combine.

    Madeleine cookie batter in a bowl
    Madeleine cookie batter in a bowl being whisked

    Step 6 | Stir Cherries into Flour

    Chop and stir dried cherries into all-purpose flour. Mix gently into the bowl ingredients. 

    dried cherries being chopped
    blue bowl with floured dried cherries
    flour being whisked in a bowl

    Step 7 | Fold In Melted Butter

    Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the melted and cooled butter into the batter.

    Madeleine cookie batter in a bowl
    Madeleine cookie batter in a bowl with a red spatula

    Step 8 | Baking Instructions

    Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each buttered Madeleine mold. Rest the batter for 10 minutes then bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan, front to back, halfway through.

    batter being spooned into a mold
    Madeleine batter in a mold
    Madeleine cookies in the oven
    Madeleine cookies in the oven

    Remove the pan from the oven when the cookies have set and are golden around the edges. Immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack. Cool the cookies completely.

    Black Forest tea infused Madeleine cookies in a pan
    Black Forest tea infused Madeleine cookies on a wire rack
    Black Forest tea infused Madeleine cookies on a wire rack
    Madeleines should have a hump (or a belly) which is created as the cookie bakes and the little cakes rise.

    Step 9 | Dip Madeleines in Chocolate

    Add chocolate chips to a small deep bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until the chips are completely melted. Dip the Madeleines into the melted chocolate.

    chocolate chips in a green bowl
    melted chocolate being whisked
    tea infused Black Forest Madeleine cookies being dipped in melted chocolate

    Carefully rest the cookies on a wire rack and chill them in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to set the chocolate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

    tea infused Black Forest Madeleine cookies on a cooling rack

    Recipe FAQs

    What are Madeleines served with?

    Madeleine cookies are usually served with hot tea or coffee. They can be enjoyed with your afternoon tea, dunked into a hot cup of coffee, or even served with high tea.

    Do Madeleines need to be refrigerated?

    Madeleines can be stored in a ziplock bag or in an airtight container, either on the counter or in the refrigerator. If you do refrigerate them, bring them to room temperature before serving them.

    Can you freeze Madeleines?

    Although Madeleine cookies are best when served freshly baked, they can also be frozen to be enjoyed at a later date. Start by freezing the cooled cookies on a rack. Once frozen, they can be transferred to a freezer bag and stored in the freezer.

    Pro Tips

    • Some recipes suggest resting the batter for a minimum of one hour prior to baking. The resting period thickens the batter and yields a better texture. This recipe only requires approximately 10 minutes of resting time once in the mold prior to baking.
    • The Black Forest Gateaux tea in this recipe has citrus, cherry, and chocolate flavors that really compliment the recipe. If you'd like to purchase some, here's the link.
    • Madeleine Cookies are commonly dusted with confectioner's sugar. If you prefer, you can skip the chocolate and dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar instead.
    Madeleine cookies on a plate

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    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

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    📖 Recipe

    Madeleine cookies

    Black Forest Tea-Infused Cherry Madeleine Cookies

    These Tasty Black Forest Tea-Infused Cherry Madeleine Cookies are elegant enough to serve for a formal occasion, yet simple enough to enjoy any time!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: French
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Resting Time (optional): 10 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 12 Madeleines
    Calories: 145kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Equipment

    • Madeleine mold

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup unsalted butter (plus more for buttering the pan)
    • 1 tablespoon black loose tea (black forest or cherry flavored)
    • ¼ cup boiling water
    • 2 medium eggs
    • â…“ cup sugar
    • 1 tablespoon orange zest
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 tablespoon dried cherries
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup dark chocolate chips (melted)
    • 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar (optional)

    Instructions

    Preheat oven to 375° F

    • Add tea to a small bowl or cup and pour ¼ cup boiling water over it. Allow it to steep for 5 minutes. 
    • Melt butter in the microwave (15 to 30 seconds) and allow it to cool down but not solidify.
    • Brush Madeleine mold with melted butter and set it aside until needed.
    • In a large bowl, vigorously whisk eggs, sugar, orange zest, almond extract, and salt for a minute or two until light and fluffy. 
    • Add 2 teaspoons of tea and 1 tablespoon of the tea leaves to the batter. Mix to combine.
    • Chop and stir dried cherries into all-purpose flour. Mix gently into the bowl ingredients. 
    • Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the melted and cooled butter into the batter.
    • Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each buttered Madeleine mold. Rest the batter for 10 minutes then bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan, front to back, halfway through.
    • Remove the pan from the oven when the cookies have set and are golden around the edges. Immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack. Cool the cookies completely.
    • Add chocolate chips to a small deep bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until the chips are completely melted. Dip the Madeleines into the melted chocolate.
    • Carefully rest the cookies on a wire rack and chill them in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to set the chocolate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

    Notes

    • Some recipes suggest resting the batter for a minimum of one hour prior to baking. The resting period thickens the batter and yields a better texture. This recipe only requires approximately 10 minutes of resting time once in the mold prior to baking.
    • The Black Forest Gateaux tea in this recipe has citrus, cherry, and chocolate flavors that really compliment the recipe. If you'd like to purchase some, here's the link.
    • Madeleine Cookies are commonly dusted with confectioner's sugar. If you prefer, you can skip the chocolate and dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar instead.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Madeleine | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    1. Kim S. says

      November 08, 2021 at 9:09 am

      5 stars
      Tried these cookies first hand. They were delicious. Thanks again Hillda.

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        November 08, 2021 at 3:09 pm

        Thanks, Kim, love you!

        Reply
    2. Kelly Methey says

      November 07, 2021 at 12:50 pm

      5 stars
      I love everything about this recipe! I can’t wait to make these!

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        November 07, 2021 at 3:23 pm

        Thanks, kelly, it's definitely a new favorite for me.

        Reply

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