Anna Olson Makes London Fog Madeleines! | Baking Wisdom

Recipe below – follow along! These buttery shell-shaped little cakes are a staple in French patisseries, where they are judged not only by their flavour but also by the little peak in the centre of each one. That sign of a well-made madeleine is la bosse, literally translated as “the bump.” Be sure to have proper madeleine pans for this recipe. The combination of Earl Grey tea and vanilla—popularly called London fog—gives these particular madeleines a subtle flavour that enhances their sweet, buttery character and makes them a lovely addition to an afternoon tea assortment.

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• Recipe Information •

Makes 18 madeleines
Prep Time: Under 10 minutes, plus chilling
Cook Time: 12 minutes

• Ingredients •
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pans
2 Earl Grey tea bags
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
10 Tbsp (125 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cocoa powder

• Directions •
1. Infuse the tea flavour. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Break open the tea bags into the butter and let steep on low for 5 minutes. Strain the butter into a bowl and cool for 10 minutes.

2. Make the batter. Whisk the eggs, egg white, sugar, honey, lemon zest and vanilla together by hand. Sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter. Cover and chill the batter for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

The lemon zest and cocoa powder bolster the Earl Grey tea flavour, and the cocoa adds a little colour, giving the madeleines the same colour tone as a milky cup of tea.

3. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Chill two madeleine pans for 10 minutes, then brush the pans with melted butter (the chilled pans help set the butter to prevent it from pooling in the pan). Freeze the buttered pans for 10 minutes.

As simple as these little cakes seem, I think I tested this recipe more times than any of the others in the book. I played with many flavour combinations before hitting on this one, but the trickiest part was making sure I got a bosse on each madeleine no matter what type of pan I used (stainless, non-stick or silicone). After much testing, I can say it’s a fait accompli.

4. Scoop the batter into 18 of the shell-shaped molds (a small ice cream scoop works best). Bake the madeleines for about 12 minutes, until browned at the edges. Immediately tap the madeleines out onto a rack to cool slightly. Serve them warm and freshly baked if you can.

If you must store madeleines, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for a day at most, or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw the madeleines on the counter and rewarm for 10 minutes in a 300°F (150°C) oven.