Fairie Madeleines
30-32 Madeleines
13 Tbsp unsalted butter – plus a few tablespoons more to prep the pans
2 Tbsp honey
4 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
Zest of 2 lemons (or oranges)
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp spice of choice (ginger, Chinese Five-Spice, or a chai mix)
12 ounces white chocolate
3 dozen edible flowers (nasturtium, rose petals, violets, pansies)
1) The night before: Press your chosen flowers between sheets of paper towels and place two heavy books on them to flatten and dry overnight.
2) The day of the bake: Melt the butter and honey together and let cool slightly.
3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and chosen spice.
4) In a food processor, whirl together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and the citrus zest until smooth and fully combined. Add the dry mix and pulse a few times until fully incorporated. With the processor running, slowly pour in the butter/honey. Once fully combined, pour the batter into a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
5) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Brush your madeleine pans with melted butter and chill them until you are ready to bake.
6) Spoon the batter into the first pan to come 2/3 up the sides. Bake on the middle rack for 9-10 minutes until the “bump” is fully risen and the edges are just beginning to brown. While the first pan is baking, prepare the second pan for baking.
7) Let the madeleines cool in their pan for 3-4 minutes and then turn out onto the cooling rack.
8) Melt the white chocolate in the microwave (20 second zaps, stirring between each) or over a double boiler.
9) Wipe out the madeleine pan. Lay one flower in each indentation. Spoon one tsp of melted chocolate over the flower and press a cooled madeleine back into the pan to evenly spread the chocolate. Leave the madeleines in the pans until the chocolate has fully set. Gently release the madeleines and serve alongside your favorite beverage.
