Earl Grey Madeleines

Rosa, author of Pemberley Cup&Cakes, brings us the recipe for madeleines, those quintessentially French little cakes that make you start the day with a smile! Suggests making them with a touch of tea to make them even more aromatic, though there are alternatives (Rosa gives you a few more ideas to suit your taste).

It’s starting to feel like turning on the oven already, isn’t it? You’ll agree with me that it never hurts to turn any moment into a little special one without complicating life too much. And one of my favorite ways is to turn to a good homemade treat, simple but made with plenty of care. Because you can tell.

So this time I've prepared some for you delicious and delicate madeleines, which almost make themselves, but you'll savor them with delight as if they were the most elaborate dessert. These beauties are, as their name suggests, close relatives of our muffins, although of French origin and with its characteristic shell shape. The most notable difference might be that, unlike cupcakes, It is common to make the madeleines with butter.

This variation, however, does not go unnoticed in the exquisite nuance of flavor it imparts to them, and even so I wanted to make them even more special. For added delight, I've treated you to a touch of Earl Grey tea, which is, by far, one of the types of tea I’ve liked the most since I can remember. On this particular occasion I 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?

For this particular tea, moreover, there’s a fascinating story that accompanies it, and if there’s something 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. No wonder Kusmi Tea quickly became the Tsar’s official tea during its golden age. The good news is that today we can keep enjoying it comfortably in our homes without losing a shred of its splendor. And why not, perfectly paired with a couple of these madeleines (or three). An unbeatable view, if you ask me...

Le Creuset Nonstick Madeleine Pan, Tokyo Design Studio porcelain mug, Kitchen Craft measuring spoons and Chemex sugar bowl and creamer.

INGREDIENTS (for 12 madeleines)

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

• 70gr of unsalted butter
• 10gr (2 tablespoons) of Earl Grey tea (loose leaf) *
• 90gr of all-purpose wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon of salt
• 60gr of white sugar
• Zest of ½ medium lemon (only the yellow peel, always avoiding the white pith, as it is bitter)
• 1 egg (L)
• 1 egg yolk (L)
• 20gr (1 tablespoon) of mild honey
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

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

*I suggest adding a twist to this tea recipe, but in Notes you'll see equally delicious alternatives.

Preparation

1. We start by infusing the butter with tea, for which we melt it in a saucepan over very low heat. Once completely melted, leave it for 1-2 more minutes and remove 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. Let steep for about 15 minutes.
2. After this time, we pass it through a fine mesh strainer to discard the tea leaves and we let it keep filtering until use. It is even highly recommended to place a mesh for squeezing or a coffee filter and thus remove even the tiniest residues.
3. In a bowl wide apart we sift the flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
4. In another large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest, and rub them together with your fingertips so the sugar is well infused with the fruit’s oils and aroma.
5. To the flavored sugar we now add the egg and the yolk and beat with the rods for about 4-5 minutes (a little less if we use electric rods) until they triple or quadruple their initial size and acquire a spongy consistency and a visibly paler color.
6. We then add the honey and the vanilla extract and beat a little more until they are perfectly combined.
7. Next, we add to the previous mixture the dry ingredients we had set aside (step 3) in two batches and mix with the help of a spatula or wooden spoon gently and using folding motions just until no visible traces of flour remain.
8. Next, add the infused butter, now lukewarm and still liquid, also in two additions, and gently fold again with a spatula until fully incorporated, but do not overmix or you’ll lose the volume achieved in our batter.
9. Once the mixture is ready, cover it with plastic wrap, making sure it is completely in contact with the surface of the batter to prevent it from drying out, and refrigerate for about 4 hours (it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days). This way, thanks to the contrast produced when the cold batter comes into contact with the high temperature of the oven, we will more easily achieve the small dome characteristic of the madeleines.
10. When it's time to resume our recipe, preheat the oven (electric, no fan) to 230ºC for about 20-25 minutes and place the oven tray in the middle position.
11. Meanwhile, we grease a special mold for madeleines, like this one from Le Creuset with a good layer of mold release spray and we put it in the freezer.
12. As soon as the oven has reached the right temperature, remove the batter and the pan from the fridge and divide the batter evenly among each cavity of the pan, making sure it doesn't reach the rim (there's no need to smooth the surface, as it will level out in the oven). With about one scant tablespoon of batter per madeleine will be enough. To fill the mold we can use a couple of spoons or else a piping bag for greater accuracy.
13. We lower the oven temperature to 200ºC and immediately bake for about 10 minutes until the typical dome has formed in the center of each shell, the surface has taken on a nice golden hue, and the edges are more toasted and crisp.
14. We then remove from the oven and unmold our madeleines dando a few gentle taps to the rim of the pan against the work surface. If any should resist (though I very much doubt that’ll happen if you’re using the Le Creuset pan), we can use a silicone spatula.
15. We then deposit onto a cooling rack with the peak facing up and let them cool at room temperature.
16. When serving them, we can finish by dusting them with a touch of powdered sugar on top.

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

Le Creuset Teapot, Tokyo Design Studio porcelain mug, Chemex sugar bowl and creamer, Kitchen Craft measuring spoons and Nonstick concha mold Le Creuset.

Notes

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

I can't emphasize enough how truly simple it is to enjoy a recipe as exquisite as these madeleines (it's almost harder to explain than to make, but you already know how I like to describe every step in detail), so don't wait to check it out. Bon appétit!

Le Creuset Nonstick Madeleine Pan, Tokyo Design Studio porcelain cup, Kitchen Craft measuring spoons, Chemex sugar bowl and creamer and Birkmann round cooling rack.