St. Mary Magdalenas

History

Western Europe is the home of more than one pastry sharing the name of St. Mary Magdalene. Perhaps the most famous is the madeleine, a delicious French pastry baked in a peculiar shell-shaped mould. While the connection between madeleines and St. Mary of Magdalene may not be immediately apparent to English speakers, it would be noticeable right away to Francophones, who know her as Marie Madeleine.

The historical origins both of the madeleine itself and of its name are unclear, but whether it was originally named after St. Mary Magdalene herself or after a cook who was named after her, before long the pastry was associated with the “Apostle to the Apostles.”

St. Mary Magdalenas

France isn’t the only country with such a dish, however. The Spanish have their own version of the madeleine called the magdalena (in Spanish, Mary Magdalene is called—you guessed it—Maria Magdalena). This pastry is largely equivalent to the French version, sharing both the name and most of the ingredients—as with madeleines, it can also be made with either lemon or orange zest, your choice—but it doesn’t require the distinctive French pan. So for this feast of St. Mary Magdalene, we present to you the traditional and accessible Spanish version: the magdalena!

St. Mary Magdalena Recipe

Ingredients:

4 eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 4 oz. stick unsalted butter

1 ⅔ cups unbleached white flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

zest from 1 lemon or 1 orange

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tbsp milk

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Beat the eggs with the sugar in a medium bowl.
3. Melt the butter. Continue to beat the egg mixture and slowly pour in the melted butter, making sure to mix thoroughly. Be sure that the butter has cooled slightly and is not bubbling when you add it to the egg and sugar mixture.
4. Stir in the lemon or orange zest, vanilla extract, and milk and mix until all the ingredients are combined.
5. Measure out the flour into a separate bowl and add the baking powder to it.
6. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, continuing to stir them until all ingredients are mixed well. The batter will be very thick.
7. Place paper liners into a cupcake pan. Use a large serving spoon to spoon batter into the liners, filling each one half full. Remember that the magdalenas will rise when baking! Place pans on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake them for 18-20 minutes until they have turned a golden brown color.
8. Remove the magdalenas from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before taking them out of the pan to cool some more. Use a teaspoon to sprinkle each magdalena with a dusting of the confectioners’ sugar.

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