Lemon Madeleines with Gin and Dubonnet Sorbet
Delicate French sponge cakes with bright lemon flavor, paired with a sophisticated gin and Dubonnet sorbet. The madeleines are chilled overnight to develop their signature shell-like shape and tender crumb, while the boozy sorbet offers a refreshing, boozy counterpoint. A showstopping dessert combining elegance with approachability.
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter, melted, for buttering tin
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring tinalmond flour3:4 ratio by weightgluten-free:true
will create denser, more delicate crumb, reduce baking powder
Full guide → - 2 medium free-range eggs
- ½ cups superfine sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 unwaxed lemon, zest, finely grated
- ½ lemon, juice (about 25ml)
- ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups superfine sugar, for sorbet
- 1 large orange, juice (about 100ml)
- 6 tbsp Dubonnetsweet vermouth1:1
similar fortified wine profile, slightly drier
- 3 tbsp ginvodka1:1
removes gin botanicals, creates less complex sorbet
- 1 medium free-range egg white
- water, 2 tbsp for glaze; 300ml for sorbet syrup
Instructions
- 1
Brush madeleine tin with melted butter, dust with flour, tap out excess, and chill.
- 2
Whisk eggs, sugar, and a pinch of salt until light and fluffy.
- 3
Fold in 100g melted butter.
- 4
Sift flour and baking powder into another bowl, then whisk in lemon zest.
- 5
Fold flour mixture into egg mixture with a metal spoon until just combined.
- 6
Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.
- 7
Heat oven to 350°F fan or gas 5.
- 8
Drop batter into tin holes to about three-quarters full using 2 teaspoons.
- 9
Bake small madeleines 8-9 minutes, large ones 12-13 minutes, until risen and golden.
- 10
Whisk lemon juice and 2 tbsp water with powdered sugar to make glaze.
- 11
When cool enough to handle, dip each madeleine into glaze using a fork, then place on wire rack scalloped-side up.
- 12
For sorbet: put 300ml water and sugar in a pan over medium heat, stir until dissolved.
- 13
Pour into a bowl to cool, then chill.
- 14
Mix in orange juice, Dubonnet, and gin.
- 15
Churn in an ice cream maker until almost done.
- 16
Whisk egg white until just frothy and add to sorbet.
- 17
Scrape into a lidded container and freeze.
- 18
Serve warm madeleines with scoops of sorbet.
Tips
If you don't have an ice cream maker, freeze the sorbet mixture in a shallow container, stirring every 30 minutes for 3-4 hours until slushy.
Chill the madeleine batter thoroughly to prevent spreading; this helps achieve the characteristic humped shape.
The egg white in the sorbet is optional but helps stabilize and smooth the texture.
Good to Know
Madeleines: 2-3 days in an airtight container. Sorbet: up to 2 weeks in a lidded plastic container in the freezer.
Madeleine batter can be chilled up to 8 hours ahead. Sorbet can be made entirely 1 day in advance.
Serve madeleines warm with cold sorbet scoops for temperature contrast.
Common Mistakes
Overmix batter after folding in flour to avoid tough, dense cakes.
Skip chilling madeleines to avoid flat cakes that won't rise properly.
Use salted butter to avoid overly sweet madeleines.
Overbake madeleines to avoid dry texture; check at lower end of time range first.
Add egg white to warm sorbet to avoid curdling; add when mix is cold and almost fully churned.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
Gluten-Free Swaps
will create denser, more delicate crumb, reduce baking powder
Full guide →General Alternatives
similar fortified wine profile, slightly drier