Tequila isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind when you think “desserts,” is it? Regardless of what you’ve seen before, it’s not usually the first thing that comes to my mind either. But even before I’d polished off my very first Lemon-Glazed Madeleine sitting in a Central Market cooking classroom, I was already scheming.
How very “me”: I was sitting there, nibbling on a madeleine and drinking a glass of Proseco, all the while thinking about other food and booze.
Dessert is one of the more difficult items to fill on our (and yours?) Cinco de Mayo party menu. Our friends have eaten their fair share of margarita cupcakes and I’m really not that big of a tres leches fan. This girl’s love for moist cake is no secret among family and friends, but man - that’s a whole ‘nother level of moist.
And so was born the Margarita-Glazed Madeleine, for this year’s Cinco de Mayo menu.
The madeleine itself contains only citrus zest (lime and orange) for additional flavoring. The fun flavor comes from the margarita glaze so don’t skip (or skimp on) the glaze. We think the formula for a good margarita is: two parts lime juice, two parts tequila, 1 part orange liqueur. There’s nothing stopping you from making a full pitcher and taking out your 2 1/2 Tbsp for the glaze before pouring the rest over a tall glass of ice 
Margarita-Glazed Madeleines
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder (optional)
zest of one lime
1/2 tsp orange zest
9 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus additional melted butter for preparing the molds
For the glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp Tequila
1 1/2 tsp Grand Marnier (or other orange liqeuer)
Brush the indentations of a madeleine mold with melted butter. Dust with flour, tap off any excess, and place in the fridge or freezer.
Whip the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt with a stand mixer for 5 minutes until frothy and thickened. Spoon the flour and baking powder, if using, into a sifter or mesh strainer and use a spatula to fold in the flour as you sift it over the batter. (Rest the bowl on a damp towel to help steady it for you.)
Add the citrus zests to the cooled butter, then dribble the butter into the batter, a few spoonfuls at a time, while simultaneously folding to incorporate the butter. Fold just until all the butter is incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Batter can be chilled for up to 12 hours.)
To bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Plop enough batter in the center of each indentation with enough batter which you think will fill it by 3/4’s (I used a scoop with a volume of 2 Tbsp for my large madeleine mold. For the smaller mold, I used about 1 1/2-2 tsp of batter.) Do not spread the batter.
Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cakes just feel set. While the cakes are baking, make a glaze in a small mixing bowl by whisking together the powdered sugar, lime juice, tequila, and Grand Marnier until smooth.
Remove from the oven and tilt the madeleines out onto a cooling rack. The moment they’re cool enough to handle, dip each cake in the glaze, turning them over to make sure both sides are coated and scrape off any excess with a dull knife. After dipping, rest each one back on the cooking rack, scalloped side up, until the cakes are cool and the glaze has firmed up.
Storage: Glazed madeleines are best left uncovered, or not tightly-wrapped; they’re best eaten the day they’re made. They can be kept in a container for up to three days after baking, if necessary. I don’t recommend freezing them since the glaze will melt (freeze and then glaze when thawed).
Source: Adapted from David Lebovitz’s Lemon Glazed Madeleines
Yields: Approx 24 Madeleines
You can find more of our favorite Cinco de Mayo recipes here.
