Earl Grey Tea Madeleines

I just visited my blog today and was shocked to see that my last post was in September last year. How sad is that!! Ok, by now I think I have established the fact that I am lazy. I do love writing but I just don't get into that mindset that easily I suppose. Anyway, no point mulling over this issue. Let's get down to business..

I have been fascinated with Madeleines from the time I heard its name. Isn't it a lovely name? I feel like repeating it. Madeleine.. Madeleine.. Madeleine.. Ok, I haven't gone crazy (for now atleast). I made my hubby buy a Madeleine pan (madeleine..) from abroad a few months back. Yes, a few months back, and I finally tried out a recipe only a few days back. It turned out so yumm. Although, I am not sure if this is the right texture or taste or feel of the cake because I have never ever tasted or even seen a madeleine before. So I am assuming I did everything right and it came out good. Hey! Works for me.. I made these for a dear friend and she enjoyed them too. So I have an approval in the bag already :)

For those who don't know, Madeleines are small French tea cakes (some call them cookies although they taste more like cake to me) that are crisp when hot out of the oven but becomes more cake like as it cools down. They are traditionally baked in small shell shaped pans which give them these lovely shapes at the bottom and the top does rise and form a hump- which is due to the long chill we give the batter before baking. Although my cakes look like they are burnt, they didnt taste so. I am not sure if taking them out of the oven 1 or 2 min earlier could have helped the color but The flavor was really good, so no complaints there

I have followed Dorie Greenspan's recipe to the T. But i did add a tinge of pink food gel, just to give it a lovely color. These are Earl Grey Tea flavored cakes and taste so divine. The tea is steeped in melted butter, strained and this butter is used to give the flavor to the cakes. How cool is that? (maybe you all are familiar with flavored butters already but for me this was a major wow moment) Dorie says, these cakes are best eaten the day they are made but you can store them in airtight boxes if need be. I had them for 3 days and it didn't spoil the taste or texture. On to the recipe then..

Earl Grey Tea Madeleines

Recipe credits- Dorie Greenspan

Things you will need:

Unsalted butter - 5 Tablespoons
Earl Grey Tea Leaves - 2 Tablespoons (I used 3 tea bags)
All Purpose Flour - 3/4 Cup
Baking Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Sugar       - 1/3 Cup
Eggs (room temp) - 2
Honey     - 2 Tablespoons
Vanilla Extract - 2 Teaspoons
A pinch of salt
Grated Zest of 1 small Lemon

To Flavor the Butter-

Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in a microwave oven and stir in the tea (I tore up the tea bags and dumped the tea dust/leaves in). Allow to infuse for 15 minutes. Line a small sieve with a double layer of damp cheesecloth or a fine/soft clean handkerchief and strain the butter into a bowl. Discard the tea,

For the Madeleines-

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In the mixer bowl, put the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until its fragnant- for about a min or 2.
Add the eggs to this and using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer or a hand-held beater, beat the mixture for 2-3 mins, until its pale and thick.
Add the Honey and Vanilla Extract and beat for 1 more min.
Stop the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients into the mixture.
When they are incorporated fully, add the melted-flavored butter and fold it in. This will take some time to get incorporated, but try to fold it in, in as few turns as possible.
Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours or overnight.
After the time period, take it out and spoon the batter into the prepared madeleine pans. You can even fill a piping bag and fill the pans for accuracy.
Bake for 12-14 mins in a pre-heated oven at 200*C or until the madeleines are golden and spring back when touched.
Remove the pan from the oven and tap the madeleines out gently onto a cooling rack.
Enjoy while still warm with a hot cup of tea.

Hope you will try it out and enjoy as much as I did. Quick, eat this last one before the minion grabs it :D

Until next time (hopefully sooner) Happy Baking...