In 18th century, in the French town of Commercy, there was a girl named Madeleine, made these cakes for the Duke of Lorraine, who loved them and subsequently gave some to his daughter, Marie, the wife of Louis XV. Their popularity grew after that.
Madeleine is a small sponge cake with a distinctive shell-like shape acquired from being baked in pan with shell-shaped depressions, traditionally flavored with lemon or orange. Nowadays you can see madeleines flavoured with rosewater or lavendar.
So whether you enjoy them plain or dipped in your tea or coffee, these small petit fours make the perfect afternoon treat.
