The heat wave in Maine has come and gone. So I’ve been relaxing in the beautiful breezy summer weather, learning a lot about gardening, and making headway at work. I’ve felt fulfilled this week in many ways and looked forward to making these cornbread madeleines. Especially after a saga last year of struggling to make my first madeleine recipe. I chose a savory version, inspired by the bounty of summer corn at the farm stand. And they came out great!

Savory Cornbread Madeleines

I love cornbread. I’ve shared cornbread with my dad many times in my life – my mom hates it. I’ve tried to get her to try it again, even homemade versions, but she says no each time. I also made a killer cornbread when I was in Portugal with a few ingredients from the supermarket. So when I saw that familiar big wooden box of corn at the farm stand on Thursday I knew I wanted to make a corn recipe. My favorite cornbreads are filled with roasted, sweet corn puree and textured with cornmeal. The more corn the better. 

I also remember making corn fritters a few years ago. Which were delicious, but nearly killed me! I mixed whole kernels into the thick, corndog-like batter and scooped them into hot oil. The corn kernels popped like bombs. Like fireworks. And nearly shot hot oil into my face. It was loud. Really loud. And triggered my fight or flight suddenly.

I remember switching off the burner and running out of the room with my hands on my head. Like the burglars in Home Alone. But I managed to face my fears and scoop them out of the oil with a slotted spoon, onto a paper towel-lined baking sheet. I coated them in powdered sugar and dipped them in maple syrup and they were incredible.

Summer Corn Recipes

So I’ve learned my lesson. My corn cake is one of the best things I’ve ever made, and a recipe that I’ve thought about for a long time. The sweet corn pastry cream. The tender corn cake. So I knew I needed to make a killer corn recipe to match that. Cornbread madeleines have been on my list for a while. Last year I bought my first madeleine pan and tried to make a simple vanilla version to nail the technique first. The cakes were good, but they didn’t rise or form humps like they should. I was transfixed by pictures of madeleines with dramatic, tall humps, and I wouldn’t accept anything less for my cornbread madeleines dreams. 

It took two or three batches for me to give up. Nothing worked – chilling the batter, chilling the pan. Raising the oven temperature. So I put my pan in the cupboard for a year or so. Distraught by my inability to conquer a seemingly simple culinary challenge. But this week I was feeling good. We started with good weather. Work was rewarding Wednesday and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Thursday was my farmers market day, as always, and I picked out some scallions and an everything bagel. I eyed the peaches and raspberries and variety of tomatoes. As well as bright blue pints of Maine blueberries. Next time. 

Roasted Corn Madeleines

Then, I made my way to the farm stand. It was slow and still packed with food after just opening. So I scoured the onions and herbs and potatoes and settled near the big wooden box of corn cobs. There’s probably about 200 inside when full. And I picked two bright green ones off the top. When I got home I immediately threw them into the oven and roasted them. I sometimes grill them in the husk, too, which makes them nice and sweet. So I let them steam away for about 30 minutes while I dug my madeleine pan out of the cupboard and prepared myself for a challenge. 

I started by researching madeleine recipes. Ratios and techniques. I remembered that all of the rise and lift in the batter comes from the heat of the oven and the eggs being whipped with sugar. Like a soufflé. I also knew I needed to add plenty of cornmeal, not just flour, to impart that corn taste. But cornmeal is too heavy for such a light batter. Another paradox to solve. So I decided to blend the cornmeal with the flour and a little sugar on high speed to get it more fine.

Recipe Testing

It seemed to work, and I had a light yellow dust. I sifted it through the strainer I normally use for cookie doughs and it went right through. So I was happy. Next I made brown butter. My typical routine – a flat, wide sauté pan with high edges. Cooked until bubbly and golden brown. Then I added garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to get that savory cornbread essence. I let it cool. The last step was the wet ingredients (in addition to grating cheese and chopping scallions). I’ve always wanted to try a “loaded” cornbread recipe. So this was my chance.

I casually cracked my eggs and whisked it up with the rest of my sugar. I decided to blend them with the cooked corn to make sure the corn was smooth and pureed. Feeling eager to bake, I added the flour mixture and had a thick cake batter. Golden and reddish-orange tint from the corn and paprika. I continued by adding the brown butter, folding it in with my spatula, until my batter was light and fluffy. The last thing to do was add my shredded cheddar and scallions. 

Loaded Cornbread Cakes

I worried that they would weigh the batter down, so I saved some to add on top for garnish. Beautiful honeycomb pieces of corn cut off the cob. I decided to let the batter rest for 2 hours. Not 2 days. It probably wouldn’t make that much of a difference. So I made my lunch, watered my garden, and came back to butter my madeleine pan. I would use my researched techniques to get a good rise on my cornbread madeleines by buttering the pan and freezing it. Preheating the oven with a baking sheet inside. And of course letting the batter rest. But I worried the heavy cornmeal, cheese, and corn were new variables that could ruin the recipe.

After a couple hours I revisited my cornbread madeleines batter in the fridge and scooped spoonfuls into my greased pan. I read online that you can get better humps by not filling them totally full. I also lowered the oven temperature compared to last time after seeing most recipes bake at under 400 degrees. The baking sheet was a new idea and I hoped it would make a big difference. Finally I placed my cornbread madeleines in the oven on the baking sheet and squatted eagerly in front of the oven door. Watching them bubble and begin to rise.

Time + Rest

But they still hadn’t peaked after 10 minutes. I resigned to the fact that I failed again and took them out to cool. They were flat and a little overcooked. They tasted great. But they weren’t madeleines. So I tried again. This time I filled them more and lazily sprayed the pan with olive oil. I added a touch of sea salt on top too for flavor. They baked on a lower temperature and rose slightly more. But they were still not good enough. It was time to meet my mom downtown for a walk, so I turned off the oven, covered the rest of my batter, and retired for the day.

I had many ideas floating through my head. Maybe the temperature should be higher. Maybe the scallions and cheese weighed the batter down too much and I should have sprinkled them on top. But I stubbornly refused to give up. I realized, too, that I never whipped the eggs and sugar. That must be the culprit. There was nothing to help them rise. So I added a small pinch of baking powder as a back up plan and whipped a couple egg whites in my stand mixer, folding them through the chilled batter.

It immediately looked fluffier and lighter and had a more soufflé-like texture. I chilled it for a couple days, covered, and worked Friday and Saturday. Which went great. On Friday I found out that a customer contacted the store to thank me for helping her. My coworkers clapped for me in the morning meeting and I felt uplifted. Rejuvenated. The rest of the day was a breeze. Nice customers. Temperate weather. An easy drive home. 

Attempt #3

Saturday was harder. Busier. Lots of things to juggle. But it ended with some delightful people that shared personal recipes with me and told me of their late husbands while trying on aprons. I ran into a customer from a few weeks ago who recognized me and I felt for the first time like an established part of the team. My body was achy and I met my parents for dinner at our favorite fried seafood spot. I ordered chicken, not haddock, but took some fried shrimp and clams off my parent’s plates. We reflected on our weeks and went home, tired, and slept early. 

I woke up Sunday raring to go and checked my madeleine batter in the fridge. It was still light and a deep yellow color. So I froze my pan again, sprayed it, and preheated the oven. I had high hopes as I scooped the batter, waiting for the oven to ding. Finally I took a few pictures and placed them on the baking sheet one more time. Fingers crossed. I squatted in front of the oven window again and watched them like a hawk. This time I saw humps form quickly. They rose! Nothing incredibly dramatic or mountainous but I was proud of them nonetheless.

Madeleine Success

When they came out I took some proud pictures and tried a bite. They were filled with corn flavor and a delicate cornbread texture. With pops of cheddar, scallions, and a touch of sea salt on top. I could taste the spices and the richness of the brown butter, too. When I finished cleaning I scooped a small dollop of sour cream on one and garnished it with more scallions and corn kernels I had saved. It was an even richer bite with extra sourness and fresh corn. Delicious. My photoshoot went well and I made haddock chowder for dinner, which paired beautifully with my cornbread madeleines. 

I’ll be snacking on these frequently over the next week. Which will be a very busy one! Hopefully I’ll have time to get some berries or peaches at the farm stand and create something magical. I’ve been thinking about donuts. Turnovers. And galettes. So we’ll see what I come up with. Thank you for reading! If you enjoy my recipes and paintings, be sure to check out my Etsy for 100’s or recipe cards and art prints. Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. See you in August!

Print Pin

Cornbread Madeleines

Savory madeleines loaded with corn, cheese, and scallions

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, French

Keyword corn, cornbread, madeleines

Prep Time 1 day day 1 hour hour

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 36

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 2 ears sweet corn
• 12 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup AP Flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions + more for topping
• Sour cream for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place corn, in husks, in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat until browned. Remove from heat.
• Add garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and kosher salt to butter. Stir to combine.
• In a blender, mix flour and yellow cornmeal until very fine. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
• In a stand mixer or by hand, mix eggs with white and brown sugars. Whip until light, fluffy, and thick, about 5 minutes.
• Fold in your sifted dry ingredients using a spatula until just combined. Then, add your brown butter mixture, slowly stirring to combine.
• Once your batter is ready, add grated cheese and scallions, folding to combine. Cover batter and let rest for 2-48 hours in the fridge.
• When ready to bake, grease and flour a madeleine pan. Preheat oven to 425°F and place a baking sheet or pizza stone in oven to heat.
• Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter into each madeleine mold. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of each.
• Place madeleine pan directly on top of the preheated baking sheet / stone and cook for 10-12 minutes until Madelines rise and form humps.
• Let cool. Then, remove from pan and top with sour cream and more scallions.

Notes

• Feel free to sprinkle more cheese and scallions on top before baking. 
• I use an extra sharp white cheddar.
• You can substitute scallions with chives if you don’t have them