These Dark Chocolate Madeleines are tender and suuuuper chocolatey thanks to bittersweet chocolate and black cocoa powder! I should have called them Midnight Madeleines!
Grease a standard madeleine pan (see note). Set aside.
Combine butter and chocolate in a medium, heatproof bowl. Microwave on 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, sift togther dry ingredients (powdered sugar, flour, black cocoa powder [see note], and salt). Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk egg whites and chocolate extract (see note) until frothy. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir with a spatula until combined.
Portion batter into pan. I used my medium cookie scoop (see note) for each madeleine. Once portioned, place the pan and the bowl with the remaining batter in the refrigerator. Chill for one hour (see note).
After chilling, preheat oven to 375° F. Bake madeleines for about 12 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Cool in the pan for 1-2 minutes, then turn the madeleines out onto a wire rack to col completely.
Since the remaining batter was already refrigerated, there is no need to chill the batter in the pan after portioning the next batch. Just be sure to keep any unused batter in the refrigerator so you don't have to wait another hour. For best results, chill the pan between batches!
For Garnish (optional):
If desired, melt another 2 oz. of chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until smooth. Dip each madeleine in the chocolate or drizzle the chocolate over the top. I chose to add some festive sprinkles to mine, too. :)Enjoy!
Notes
Note on black cocoa: Black cocoa gives you that deep, dark chocolate color and flavor. If you can't find black cocoa in your local grocery store (I never can), you can find it here or use dutch-process cocoa to substitute.Note on chocolate extract: I highly recommend this (sometimes overlooked) extract! It lends amazing depth of flavor to chocolate baked goods! If you can't find it in your local grocery store, you can find some here. Even better, make yourself some Homemade Chocolate Extract for next time!Note on madeleine pan: If you're in the market for a madeleine pan, this is the one that I use here. It's a standard size madeleine pan. If you choose to make mini madeleines you'll need to reduce the baking time.Note on cookie scoop: I use my medium cookie scoop to portion out the batter. This helps me to keep them more uniform in size and to keep my hands clean. If you're using a spoon, you'll want about 1.5 tablespoons of batter for each madeleine.Note on chilling madeleine batter: Don't skip this step! Chilling the batter before use helps the madeleines hold their beautiful shell-like shape and to form their signature "bump" on the back!