Christmas Stollen Madeleines with Preserved Lemon

Here’s a buttery, soft-spiced cake, studded with currants, slivers of almonds and a hint of candied orange peel, that makes a perfectly elegant holiday treat for breakfast, afternoon tea or dessert. Chopped preserved lemon adds a wonderfully tart touch to these stollen-inspired madeleines.

For me, Christmas preparations begin in the aisles of a gourmet bulk foods store with a wire basket slung over my arm studying arrays of tantalizing baking supplies.

I might be shopping for rolled oats and walnut halves so that we can make granola to gift to the school teachers. Other times my basket could hold a colourful assortment of candy for our after-school gingerbread project. There are always dried apricots and hazelnuts for my essential holiday fruit and nut crisps and loads of whole cloves so we can spend a snowy afternoon making orange pomander balls.

This year, I found myself stopping in front of a bin of beautiful candied orange peel that was sandwiched between the slightly more garish fruitcake mixed peel and the much-too-sweet candied pineapple chunks. My thoughts traveled back to a December afternoon long ago when Danny and I had worked side-by-side to produce a dozen stollen loaves straight out of the Joy of Cooking. We coated those beauties in powdered sugar, wrapped them in cellophane, and delivered them on Christmas Eve to loved ones. The German fruitcake makes a delicious breakfast, sliced and lightly toasted, with coffee, of course.

On an impulse, I scooped out a small bag of the perfectly cubed orange peel and added it my basket. I sought out dried currants and slivered almonds, too. Perhaps this would be the year I’d revisit a once-beloved holiday loaf.

Christmas Stollen Madeleines with Preserved Lemon || Simple Bites

As a family, we aim to make each holiday season unique and special, and avoid anything that feels forced or expected. This year in particular, we are really changing things up, as we’re packing the presents and road tripping out to Nova Scotia for Christmas. We need a change of scenery. Since the surgery we’ve been housebound while Danny recovers – and it’s been great, but a week on the ocean sounds like a glimpse of heaven right now. My sister and Danny’s brother live in Halifax (the wedding couple, remember?) and we’ll celebrate with them. We fell in love with Halifax and its surrounding area two summers ago and we’re excited to return. I may have already mapped out the route from my sister’s house to Peggy’s Cove.

But let me tell you about the madeleines in today’s post. Although I buck most holiday traditions, there are a few treats I have to bake come December. Shortbread is an essential cookie, whether it be rolled and cut, or pressed and chocolate-dipped. There also needs to be fruitcake, whether it be panettone, stollen or my mother’s dark and delicious panforte. And then there are madeleines: the tender French shell-shaped cakes.

Madeleines happen to be my children’s absolute favourite treat for a special breakfast and I love the ease with which they come together for a Christmas breakfast. The buttery batter is prepared the evening before. Then in the morning, as the kettle boils for our Chemex coffee, I butter the pans, drop the batter in by the spoonful, and voilà, we have warm madeleines fifteen short minutes later.

Christmas Stollen Madeleines with Preserved Lemon || Simple Bites

All this to say that as I was unpacking my load of holiday baking ingredients and tucking them into jars, I started thinking about stollen again. It struck me that although the loaf has entirely different origins than the delicate madeleine, both have similarities that put them on the same page. Ingredients like almonds and citrus, Christmas spices and heaps of butter. Then and there, I knew I had to try a combination of the two. I figured they were either going to be utterly horrific or astonishingly delicious. I added a tablespoon of rum to help tip the scales toward the latter.

I’m happy to report that this is a recipe mash-up we can all get behind for the holidays. The Christmas Stollen Madeleines with Preserved Lemon are indeed astonishingly delicious. (You know I wouldn’t be sharing them here with you if they were anything else.) A buttery, soft-spiced three-bite-cake, studded with currants, slivers of almonds and a hint of candied orange peel.

How did the preserved lemons come into the recipe? Well I was testing a theory of mine that everything is better with preserved lemon. I almost always have a jar of them in the refrigerator, especially during these winter months.The tangy, salty citrus rind is a magical ingredient for winter salads, pasta dishes, quinoa with brussels sprouts, roast chicken and more. My friend Alana adds them to her homemade hummus, which is utterly brilliant.

I had a hunch the chopped preserved lemons would offset the sweetness of the currants and candied orange peel, while still complementing them. Right again! It is a wonderfully surprising tart tidbit in the madeleines; a further twist of elegance in an already charming cake.

I know I’m sworn off of traditions, but these madeleines just might be on the Christmas morning menu forever and ever more.

Christmas Stollen Madeleines with Preserved Lemon

A buttery, soft-spiced three-bite-cake, studded with currants, slivers of almonds and a hint of candied orange peel. The perfectly elegant holiday treat, for breakfast, afternoon tea or dessert.
4.72 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: French
Essential Ingredient: Preserved Lemon
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 16 madeleines
Calories: 132kcal
Author: Aimee

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon rum
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
  • 2 teaspoons chopped preserved lemon
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 2 Tablespoons currants
  • 1 Tablespoon candied orange peel

Instructions

  • Melt butter slowly in a small pan. Add rum and set aside to cool.
  • In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and cardamom.
  • Crack eggs into a medium bowl. Add salt and sugar and then beat until frothy.
  • Tip flour into the eggs and fold together until partially mixed. Toss in the preserved lemon, almonds, currants and candied orange peel. Pour the melted butter over everything and stir to combine well.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to one day.
  • Preheat oven to 350F. Generously butter a madeleine pan and dust with flour. Lightly tap the pan upside down on the counter to remove the excess flour.
  • Measure 2 tablespoons of madeleine batter into each mold. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes. The tops should be slightly puffed and the edges light golden.
  • Remove the madeleines from the oven and immediately invert the pan over a cooling rack. Tap gently to release the cakes.
  • Wash and butter the pan again and bake the remaining batter. Enjoy madeleines warm.

Notes

If you don't make your own preserved lemons, you can find them in most gourmet grocery stores or on Amazon.

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 223IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

December Eat Seasonal

Eat Seasonal

Our blogging group  is back with plenty of inspiration for December cooking and baking. Becky of The Vintage Mixer is our leader (check out her recipe guide for December) and her husband Josh does the beautiful illustrations.

December-Seasonal-Recipes

What is on your Christmas morning menu? Are you a traditionalist or not?

 

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35 Comments

  1. I have never used preserved lemon rind in sweet dishes. (I’ve only tried it once in a moroccan chicken tangine recipe) but these look amazing! I am going to have to try them out!

    On another note, I also make stollen every year at Christmas time (my mother is German) I love the traditional recipes I grew up with but I also love adding something new each year. These may just be the ticket this year!

    I wish you and your family a lovely holiday!

  2. Oh yeah, rum always helps tip the scales! Ha! These are just darling. And you’ve read my mind here. I was just dusting off my madeleine pan this weekend, thinking that it’s been about 5 years since I’ve made these little gems. .So this year, madeleines are on my baking list!

  3. I absolutely LOVE stollen. The recipe from Farm Journal’s Homemade Bread is the one our family uses. We use butter rather than shortening (it’s a vintage cookbook) and the taste is heaven.

  4. There’s a quart jar of home-preserved Meyer lemons in the fridge–a year old! I’m excited to make something sweet with them–and madeleines–what a great idea! Stollen, sliced/toasted on Christmas morning!

  5. I loved this little glimpse into how you develop a new recipe. I’ve never made madeleines. Any ideas for someone that doesn’t have the special pan? Would a muffin tin half full work?

  6. 5 stars
    I love that you combined stollen bread with my favorite treat – madeleines!! And for breakfast … why have I never had a madeleine for breakfast?!

  7. This is such a great idea! I adore stollen and it’s so nice to see those flavors in another form. I have yet to make madeleines, though, so I need to get on that!

  8. Being born and raised in Dresden, Germany me and my husband have very strong feelings and taste for Christmas Stollen and not everything called Stollen gets approval here. We will definitely try this Stollen Madeleines. Thank you.

  9. These look amazing! And just a quick note that “currents” needs a correction in the italic text at the top of the entry.

  10. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness! I actually gasped when I saw your photos and I was drooling over those madeleines! SO PRETTY. I haven’t made madeleines for so long. I’m going to try your recipe with GF flour. I’ll let you know how it goes!

    1. Please let me know, Lindsey. I hope you love them! And thank you for the kind words. I certainly struggle with photography, so I appreciate the encouragement.
      Happy Holidays!

  11. 3 stars
    Made these and was disappointed. Maybe I was expecting a bit more of a spice flavor? Will try again, but will use less than 2 TBSP filling in each mold as they were way too full and I could only fill a Madeleine pan and a half – following the instructions exactly. I think I may add a dollop of marzipan into each mold too, as while the almonds delivered a nice crunch, the flavor from marzipan, vanilla or almond extract was missing. Maybe flor de sicilia is the answer to that? None the less, they were pretty as turned out, not too sweet.

    1. Hi Ash,
      I’m sorry you were not 100% satisfied. I always use freshly ground cardamom, and any more than 1/4 teaspoon is too potent and masks the other flavours.
      That said, feel free to add any flavouring you like!

  12. 5 stars
    I made the recipe as written, and put a powdered sugar icing on them when they were cooled.
    They were a HUGE hit at Christmas.
    Thank you!

  13. Just found your blog and so glad I did. I love all the recipes I have seen and can’t wait to start cooking/baking. Thank you for your hard work: Happy Holidays to you.

  14. I adore stollen and it’s so nice to see those flavors in another form. I loved this little glimpse into how you develop a new recipe. I’ve never made madeleines. I made the recipe as written, and put a powdered sugar icing on them when they were cooled.

  15. 5 stars
    I like all the recipes I’ve seen and can’t wait to start cooking/baking. Thank you for your hard work: Happy Holidays. I made a written prescription, and when it cooled, I put the powder on it. I think I could add a dollop of marzipan to each mold as if the almonds had a good crunch, the taste of marzipan, vanilla, or almond juice was missing.