Nothing compares to nostalgia in the form of a sweet treat.

For French pastry chef Dominique Ansel (who is credited with inventing the famed Cronut which Dominique Ansel Bakery has trademarked), madeleines — a delicate, airy, buttery French cookie that is best fresh out of the oven — provide just that. 

"It's a childhood memory for me," he says.

Ansel loved having the treat fresh from the oven, when visiting the bakery with his mom and grandma. At Dominique Ansel locations in New York, mini madeleines are served warm. And baking time is between four and five minutes — so you might actually spend more time waiting for a latte to be made.

On a visit to the Dominique Ansel Workshop in Flatiron (one of his several bakery locations across the globe, from Las Vegas to Hong Kong), Ansel taught me to make the adorable, shell-shaped cookies.

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The hands-on part of the process was quick. It took minutes to prep the dough and baking the treats was even faster. It's time between making and baking that takes the longest because the dough needs to rest overnight.

I couldn't taste them due to my food allergies but the smell was enough to put me in a dreamy state. My colleague Elise Brisco, who was filming our cooking lesson, describes the cookies as "lavish but simple."

Ansel provided the recipe for his mini madeleines with USA TODAY. 

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Time: 15 minutes one day before; 15 minutes per batch the day of

Instructions for batter (make one day before baking):

Instructions for the day of (pipe, bake and serve):

Madeleines are good only when freshly baked. Do not attempt to store them. However, you can keep the batter in a closed airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.