Earl Gray Madeleine

Rosa, author of Pemberley Cup&Cakes , brings us the recipe for madeleines, those very French muffins that make you start the day with a smile! She suggests making them with a touch of tea, to make them even more aromatic, although she accepts alternatives (Rosa gives you some more ideas to adapt them to your taste).

It's getting really tempting to turn on the oven, isn't it? You'll agree with me that it never hurts to be able to turn any given moment into a special moment without complicating our lives too much. And one of my favourite ways is to use a good homemade dessert, simple but made with all the care. Because it shows.

So this time I have prepared some delicious and delicate madeleines , which are almost self-made , but which you will enjoy with delight as if it were the most elaborate dessert. These beauties are, as their name suggests, direct relatives of our madeleines, although of French origin and with their characteristic shell shape. The most notable difference is perhaps that, unlike madeleines, it is usual to make madeleines with butter .

This variation, however, does not go unnoticed in the exquisite nuance of flavor that it brings to them, and yet I wanted to make them even more special. For greater delight I have given them a touch of Earl Grey tea , which is, by far, one of the types of tea that I have liked the most since I can remember. On this occasion in particular I have used the Anastasia variety from Kusmi Tea, an exquisite blend of black tea, flavored with bergamot, lemon and orange blossom. Can you already imagine the result?

This particular tea also has a fascinating story behind it, and if there's one thing I can hardly resist, it's a good story behind a good recipe. As its name suggests, its creation was inspired by the life of Grand Duchess Anastasia, the fourth daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last Tsar of the Romanov dynasty and, in turn, the last Tsar in history almost 100 years ago. It's not in vain that Kusmi Tea quickly became the official tea of ​​the Tsar during his golden age. The good news is that today we can continue to enjoy it comfortably in our homes without losing any of its splendor. And why not, well accompanied by a couple of these madeleines (or three). It seems unbeatable to me...

Le Creuset non-stick shell mold , Tokyo Design Studio porcelain mug, Kitchen Craft measuring spoons and Chemex sugar and creamer .

INGREDIENTS (for 12 madeleines )

All ingredients must be at room temperature, unless otherwise indicated.

• 70gr unsalted butter
• 10gr (2 tablespoons) of Earl Grey tea (loose leaves)*
• 90g of common wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 60gr of white sugar
• Zest of ½ medium lemon (only the yellow skin, always avoiding the white membrane, as it is bitter)
• 1 egg (L)
• 1 egg yolk (L)
• 20gr (1 tablespoon) of mild honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Icing sugar, to sprinkle (optional)

(1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 15ml)

*I suggest you give a twist to the recipe for this tea, but in Notes you will see equally delicious alternatives.

Elaboration

1. We start by flavouring the butter with tea, for which we melt it in a saucepan over a very low heat. Once completely melted, we leave it for 1-2 more minutes and remove it from the heat (be careful not to leave it too long or it will end up burning in a matter of seconds) and add the tea leaves. We leave it to infuse for about 15 minutes.
2. After this time, strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer to remove the tea leaves and let it filter until ready to use. It is even more than advisable to place a straining mesh or a coffee filter to remove even the tiniest remains.
3. In a separate large bowl , sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. In another large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest and rub them together with your fingertips so that the sugar is well impregnated with the oils and aroma of the fruit.
5. Now add the egg and yolk to the flavoured sugar and beat with the rods for about 4-5 minutes (slightly less if using electric rods ) until they triple or quadruple their initial size and acquire a spongy consistency and a visibly paler colour.
6. Then we add the honey and vanilla extract and beat a little more until they are perfectly combined.
7. Next, we add the dry ingredients that we had reserved (point 3) to the previous mixture in two batches and mix gently with the help of a spatula or wooden spoon , using circular movements until there are no visible traces of flour left.
8. Next, we add the infused butter, now warm and still in liquid state, also in two batches, and mix again gently with the spatula until completely incorporated, but without over-mixing or we will end up with the volume achieved in our dough.
9. Once the mixture is ready, we cover it with cling film, making sure that it is in full contact with the surface of the dough to prevent it from drying out, and we refrigerate it for about 4 hours (it can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days). In this way, thanks to the contrast produced when the cold dough comes into contact with the high temperature of the oven, we will more easily achieve the small tuft characteristic of madeleines .
10. When it is time to start our recipe, we preheat the oven (electric and without air) to 230ºC for about 20-25 minutes and place the oven tray in the central position.
11. Meanwhile, grease a special madeleine mold, like this one from Le Creuset, with a good layer of release spray and place it in the freezer.
12. Once the oven has reached the correct temperature, remove the mixture and the mould from the fridge and divide the mixture evenly between each cavity of the mould, making sure that it does not reach the edge (it is not necessary to smooth the surface, as it will level out in the oven). Approximately one tablespoon (not a heaping one) of mixture per madeleine will be sufficient. To fill the mould, you can use a couple of spoons or a pastry bag for greater precision.
13. Reduce the oven temperature to 200ºC and immediately bake for about 10 minutes until the typical tuft has formed in the centre of each shell, the surface has acquired a nice golden hue and the edges are toasted and crispy.
14. We then remove the madeleines from the oven and remove them from the mould by gently tapping the edge of the mould against the work surface. If any of them resist (although I highly doubt this will happen if you are using the Le Creuset mould), we can use a silicone spatula .
15. We then place them on a cooling rack with the top facing up and let them cool to room temperature.
16. When serving, we can finish by sprinkling a touch of icing sugar on top.

There's nothing like enjoying good homemade madeleines on the first day. From the second day onwards they will start to dry out, but they can be frozen well wrapped in cling film and aluminium foil for up to 2 months.

Le Creuset teapot , Tokyo Design Studio porcelain mug, Chemex sugar and creamer , Kitchen Craft measuring spoons and non-stick shell mold Le Creuset .

Grades

• If you prefer, you can also use the caffeine-free version of this delicious tea: Decaffeinated Earl Grey from Kusmi Tea .
• If you're not a big tea drinker but don't want to give up that aromatic touch in your madeleines , you should know that you can replace it with 1 tablespoon of dried lavender flowers (suitable for consumption, of course), aromatic herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary...), or even a mix of your favourite spices (½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg and a pinch of ground ginger, for example, which we will sift together with the flour).

I can't stress enough how easy it is to enjoy a recipe as exquisite as these madeleines (it's almost harder to explain than to prepare, but you know how I like to describe each step in detail), so don't delay and check it out. Bon appétit!

Le Creuset Non-Stick Shell Mold , Tokyo Design Studio Porcelain Mug, Kitchen Craft Measuring Spoons , Chemex Sugar and Creamer , and Birkmann Round Cooling Rack .