Do you know how to make Pumpkin Spice Almond Madeleines? Marcel Proust would be rolling in his grave if he knew that his favorite childhood cake is now available with pumpkin puree. Indeed, it is and is equally tasty. Read below and learn how to make Pumpkin Spice Almond Madeleines!
🕐 How to make Pumpkin Spice Almond Madeleines
The signature French pastry is made traditionally with wheat flour. But WD tried to recreate the recipe for a grain and gluten free option with blanched almond flour. In order to make it, you need the signature Madeleine baking pan that is available online. We bought ours on Amazon.com that came with two.
💡Flour substitutes
When it comes to flour substitutes, the experts along with professional bakers call for an 1:1 substitute which means replacing one cup of wheat flour for one cup of almond flour. However, this is not an accurate calculation. The flours are completely different in texture, moisture and density. Wheat flour (generic grocery store brand) is made from wheat that is a grain. Therefore, it is glutinous, dense and dry. Almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour) is made from almonds, which are nuts, that makes it thinner and higher in fat and moisture.
⚖️So we weighed them. The results?
1 cup all-purpose flour equals 4.40 ounces.
1 cup blanched almond flour equals 3.50 ounces.
Can you see the difference? So after some trial and error, we created a recipe that calls for 5.5 ounces of almond flour. In addition, we decided also to reduce the butter by half as the moisture of almond flour requires less oils.
We also tried the recipe using 4.5 ounces of almond flour keeping all other amounts the same. The Madeleines were tasty and moisty but thinner than the 5.5 ounces version. At WD believe that the 5.5 ounces equivalent to the initial 1 cup all-purpose flour recipe recreates better the traditional recipe. That would have made Proust much happier indeed.
Make the recipe now and rate it in the recipe card!
More French recipes? Check this one
Pumpkin Spice Almond Madeleines
The legendary Proustian French cakes, are made with almond flour and pumpkin puree. Equally tasty.
Ingredients
- 1 and 2/3 cups (5.5 oz.) blanched almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (3 oz.) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (4 tbsp., 1/2 stick) unsalted melted butter
- 3 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp orange blossom
- Baking spray to use on pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat the shell molds of the pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix eggs, sugar and butter. Beat until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and orange blossom and whisk until all ingredients are nicely blended. Stir in the flour mixture and keep whisking until the batter is smooth.
- Fill shell molds with 1 1/2 tbsp. batter each. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Let them cool off.
- The Madeleines are ready when they can easily be removed from the molds.
Notes
- You can also try using 4.5 ounces almond flour for a lighter version.
- This is a grain and gluten free alternative. If you'd rather go for the traditional recipe, you can use 1 cup (4.40 oz.) wheat flour and 1 stick butter. All other ingredients remain the same.
- For this recipe, we don't recommend using the electric mixer. Use the whisker instead.
- Madeleines are to be eaten fresh the first day of baking. You can maintain them for a few days in an air-tight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 111Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 114mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 2g