Madeleine are beautiful French Sponge cake shaped like a Shell. The exterior has a slight crust with a creamy and sweet exterior. However to make them, you need a special Madeleine Cookie Pan or mold. There are several variety of these pan ranging from tin to carbon steel. Each has their own pros and cons, choosing the Best Madeleine Pan will depend on your needs.

Madeleine Pan Material

Madeleine Cookie Pans are made in a few different configuration. The most traditional one are made of tin. They transfer heat readily are made very thin. Getting an golden crust on them is easy and its naturally nonstick. However, the issue is that they are pretty flimsy. Manufacturer often make them very thin for reason beyond me. If you store it wrong, you can easily dent and ruin your pan.

Modern day Madeleine are typically made of Aluminum or Carbon Steel with a nonstick coating. These type of construction are the easiest to use and generally more durable. However, the biggest issue is the nonstick coating. Overtime, they do wear out and you will eventually have to replace the pan. You can still use it though, you just have to prepare it properly.

You can even get Madeleine in a silicone variety. The main advantage of these is how easy it is to unmold. Nothing sticks and you can just bend the Madeleine out. The main issue with silicone is its overall poor heat conductivity. What that means is that it wont be able to brown as well as the metal pan. You can try to compensate by cranking up the heat, but the results are usually burnt and dried. Nevertheless, some people still like them and they do work well as molds.

How to use a Madeleine Pan

The Key to use a Madeleine Cookie Pan is preparation. Before you fill the pan, what you need to do is lightly cover the cavity with melted butter. Dust some flower on it and remove any excess. After that, chill it in the fridge for an hour. After you do this, then fill about a tablespoon of batter into each cavity. When you are done, you should be able to pop it into the oven. While these steps may seem a little excessive, this is the best way to get perfect Madeleine each time. Your chance of success goes up with the use of a nonstick pan.

How do you eat Madeleine?

Madeleine are cakes, you can eat it by itself or sprinkled with a bit of powder sugar. What I personally like doing is pair it with either coffee or tea. What I choose will usually depend on my mood. There are some people who like to eat it with Jam, but in my opinion, they are sweet enough.

Best Madeleine Cookie Pan List

Below, you will find a list of some of the Best Madeleine available. I have sorted them based on categories, choose one that best suit your need.

USA Pan Bakeware Madeleine (Best Overall)

USA Pan makes some of the bakeware on the market. Their nonstick coating is durable and will last a good long time. Their pan is made of aluminized steel so it conducts heat well and resists warping. You can rest easy knowing that their stuff carries a lifetime warranty and is regarded as Commercial Quality.

Gobel 12 Count Heavy Tinned Steel Madeleine Sheet Pan (Best Traditional Model)

Maybe you are feeling traditional or maybe just want one made in France. Then I recommend you try out Gobel, their tin is heavier duty than your typical tin model. Best of all, since tin is naturally nonstick, it does not need to use a coating like the other pans.

Matfer Bourgeat Gastroflex Madeleine Mold (Best Silicone Model)

If your Madeleine are just sticking left and right, then you might want to consider a silicone model. Matfer is a well known French Manufacturer of kitchen cookware. They produce things that are used and abused in the kitchen. This model is much thicker than the cheap generic one you get. However, you are definitely paying for it. You get a total of ten sheets per package, perfect for any professional kitchen.

Thoughts

Madeleine are one of the best french cakes around. You can eat them during breakfast lunch or dinner. I personally like eating with tea and coffee. However, getting good quality one in the states arent that easy. Your best option is to make it yourself. But to make them, you need a Madeleine Cookie Pan. I personally find that the nonstick one with aluminum construction are the best. But some prefer the old traditional model. They work well, you just need to prep them for it to pop out. If all else fails, you can always use the silicone one. They never stick and you can unmold it easily.

Want to make more cookie? Check out our article on the Best Mooncake Mold.