The beautifully ornate p\u00e2tisserie lined up in Paris\u2019 pastry shops will definitely catch your eye. But it\u2019s none other than the humble madeleine which has become one of France\u2019s favorite sweet treats. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The simple and unadorned cake is a mix of just flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, brought to life with a squeeze of lemon and instantly recognizable thanks to its pretty shell shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simple? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely. Here\u2019s how this unassuming treat earned its place as one of the quintessential Paris pastries<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Photo Credit: La P\u00e2tisserie des R\u00eaves<\/a>, Text Overlay: Devour Paris Food Tours<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although there is some mystery surrounding the cake\u2019s origins, it\u2019s commonly agreed that the madeleine originated in Commercy, in the Lorraine region of France.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who came up with the recipe is less clear, but the most popular story goes back to the 1700s, when a woman named Madeleine stood in as the last-minute pastry chef for a dinner held by the Duke of Lorraine. Under pressure to think of something to bake, Madeleine decided on her grandmother\u2019s cake recipe. It was such a hit that the duke then named the cakes after her.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n When King Louis XV visited Lorraine in 1755, madeleines won him over as well. In fact, he loved them so much that he gave them to his wife, Marie, who introduced them to the French court at Versailles. And of course, once they were popular with royalty, then everyone else also wanted a bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cake achieved a new level of fame in the 1920s, when Marcel Proust spoke about them in his book \u201cIn Search of Lost Time.\u201d He waxes poetically about how the cake, dipped in his cup of tisane<\/em> (herbal tea), reminded him of his childhood, when his aunt L\u00e9onie used to give him a bite of her madeleine every Sunday morning. It\u2019s a reference which has now made its way into modern French culture as the expression, \u201cWhat is your madeleine de Proust<\/em>?\u201d\u2014or in other words, which food reminds you of your childhood?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, Salon Proust at the Ritz Paris<\/a> makes the perfect setting to enjoy the legendary writer\u2019s favorite cake, courtesy of pastry chef Fran\u00e7ois Perret. The hotel\u2019s th\u00e9 \u00e0 la fran\u00e7aise<\/em>\u2014the French version of British afternoon tea\u2014starts with a miniature madeleine served in an elegant china bowl. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than serving this madeleine with tea, \u00e0 la <\/em>Proust, they pour warm milk flavored with lemon, chocolate or strawberry over the cake until the liquid just covers the bottom of the dish. Then, be patient\u2014it\u2019s recommended to wait before tasting so that the flavor can infuse. A sugar-glazed madeleine is also served during the tea itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just opposite the salon at the hotel\u2019s Bar Vend\u00f4me, Perret serves up one of his signature desserts, a supersized and super-indulgent version of the madeleine, filled with chestnut honey, toasted almonds, Savoy biscuits, and Chantilly cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Le Figaro\u2014not to mention a legion of madeleine fans\u2014the best madeleine<\/a> in Paris can be found at the unassuming Bl\u00e9 Sucre<\/a>, a small bakery headed up by Fabrice Le Bourdat. Here, Le Bourdat creates madeleines made for sharing. His popular lemon and sugar-glazed versions only come in packs of four, while the huge madeleine \u00e0 partager <\/em>(\u201cmadeleine to share\u201d) might be the biggest in the city!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to try something different than the traditional citrus glaze, head to La P\u00e2tisserie des R\u00eaves<\/a>. The name means \u201cThe Patisserie of Dreams\u201d in English, and they\u2019re not wrong! Here, the madeleines come in one of four flavors: vanilla, chocolate, pistachio or orange.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another standout is French institution Fauchon<\/a> (coincidentally located on place de la Madeleine). Here, they experiment even further with pistachio and raspberry and chocolate praline-flavored madeleines. You can even find their recipe for chocolate madeleines online<\/a> if you want to try and recreate your own Proust moment back home. <\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This post is part of our Behind the Bite series: deep dives into the dishes that we can\u2019t stop thinking about. The beautifully ornate p\u00e2tisserie lined up in Paris\u2019 pastry shops will definitely catch your eye. But it\u2019s none other than the humble madeleine which has become one of France\u2019s favorite sweet treats. The simple […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":2808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[1329,1330],"tags":[1232,1340,1394,551],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/madeleine-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\nThe history of the madeleine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/madeleine-Salon-Proust-C2A9Loc-Boyle.jpg\")
Where to find the best madeleines in Paris<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Desserts-Bar-VendoCC82me_Entremet-madeleine-C2A9-Matthieu-Cellard-3.jpg\")
Modern madeleines <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Chocolate](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MADELEINE-CHOCOLAT-PDR-1-copy-1.jpg\")