If you love elegant French-style desserts, these Pistachio Madeleines with a White Chocolate Shell are a perfect choice. They’re soft and buttery inside, gently flavored with pistachio, and finished with a crisp white chocolate coating that makes them look bakery-level. They’re ideal for tea time, gifting, or a classy dessert plate.
Ingredients
For the pistachio madeleines
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 90 g caster sugar (or fine granulated sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 120 g cake flour (or all-purpose flour, sifted)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 100 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 60 g pistachios, finely ground (unsalted, shelled)
- 30–40 g pistachios, chopped (for topping)
For the white chocolate shell
- 200–250 g white chocolate (chopped or chips)
- Optional: 1–2 tsp neutral oil (only if your chocolate is thick when melted)
Equipment
- Madeleine pan (shell-shaped)
- Mixing bowls + whisk
- Spatula
- Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
- Cooling rack
Step-by-step instructions
1) Prepare the pistachios
- Finely grind 60 g pistachios (don’t grind too long or it can turn oily).
- Roughly chop 30–40 g pistachios for topping. Set aside.
2) Make the batter
- In a bowl, whisk eggs + sugar for 2–3 minutes until lighter and slightly thick.
- Whisk in vanilla.
- In another bowl, mix flour + baking powder + salt + ground pistachios.
- Add the dry mix to the egg mixture and fold gently until just combined.
- Pour in the melted butter and fold until smooth (don’t overmix).
3) Chill the batter (important!)
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 1 hour (overnight is even better).
- This helps texture and encourages the classic madeleine “hump.”
4) Bake the madeleines
- Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
- Grease the madeleine pan well (even if it’s nonstick).
- Spoon batter into each mold about ¾–90% full.
- Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top.
- Bake 9–12 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden (don’t overbake).
- Tap the pan gently and remove madeleines to a rack to cool.
5) Create the white chocolate shell
- Once madeleines are fully cool, melt the white chocolate (microwave in 20–30 sec bursts, or over a bain-marie).
- Spoon melted chocolate into each madeleine cavity, about halfway (or enough to coat the shell shape).
- Press each madeleine back into its cavity so the chocolate spreads and forms a neat shell.
- Chill in the freezer 15–25 minutes (or fridge 30–45 minutes) until firm.
- Gently lift them out—now the madeleines have a clean white chocolate shell.
Storage
- Best the same day, but you can store in an airtight container 2–3 days at room temperature (cool place).
- Avoid heat or sunlight so the white chocolate stays firm.