THE PERFUMER’S MADELEINE RECIPE FOR LA BAGATELLE:

Lavender Madeleine, with a hint of Vanilla



For our launch event of the Franca Cups our very own parfumeur Emmanuel Martini baked a batch of 100 madeleine cakes infused with lavender flowers, a hint of honey vanilla, and the perfumer’s magic ingredient – a touch of Muscovado sugar Vetiver (which isn’t featured in the recipe below, as it's a bit complex to proceed with).

Ingredients for 24 madeleines
• 130 grams of flour
• 3 whole eggs (150 grams)
• 140 grams of white caster sugar
• 135 grams of unsalted butter
• 70 grams of semi-skimmed milk
If without the lavender flower infusion, reduce down to 50 grams
• 10 grams of organic lavender flowers (Natur Apotheek)
• 5 grams of baking powder (1 level teaspoon)
• 2 teaspoons of liquid honey
• 1/2 level teaspoon of fleur de sel (Salt flakes)
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 1 and 1/2 vanilla pods
• 1 tablespoon of peanut oil or grapeseed oil
• Form for madeleine: Form for x 12 Madeleine, 7,5cm x 5 cm from the brand Gobel, (Kunst og Køkkentøj in Copenhagen)
• Perfumer's Trick: Add 1 drop of organic essential oil of French Lavande fine (Lavandula angustifolia) to the batter at the very end of the method before letting it cure in the fridge.

Method:
• Slightly heat the milk in a small saucepan (approximately 50°C), add the lavender flowers, stir gently, let it sit for 5 minutes, then pour it through a sifter, pressing with your hand to collect the infused milk in a bowl. Set aside. It should remain 50 grams of milk. Adjust by adding a bit more milk, if necessary, as the dry lavender flower can retain a bit of milk. This can be prepared the day before and left overnight in the fridge.
• Melt the butter (135 grams) in a light-colored pan until it starts turning slightly brown, then let it cool slightly.
• Scrape the vanilla pods and mix them with the 2 teaspoons of honey; set aside.
• In a bowl, beat the 3 eggs (150 grams) with the white caster sugar (140 grams), 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, ½ teaspoon of fleur de sel, and the honey with vanilla preparation until the mixture whitens.
• Add the tablespoon of grapeseed oil, sifted flour (130 grams) with baking powder (5 grams), and mix just enough to incorporate the flour.
• Take two tablespoons of melted butter and mix them with the pan of melted butter. Then add it back to the batter and mix. Slowly pour in the milk (50 grams) and mix.
• Place a circle of cling film on the surface of the mixture and chill for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight. Grease your madeleine molds with soft butter and flour using a pastry brush or a dusting pouch. Spoon the batter into a pipping bag (pastry bag) and fill the molds to 90%, then chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat your conventional oven (without hot air/convection) to 180°C. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on your oven (the top of the bump should appear dry). Immediately unmold by gently tapping the mold vertically on the countertop, then transfer the madeleines onto a wire rack, or by tilting them sideways on the mold.
• The bump retains its shape and has a delicate texture, crispy edges, and a pronounced vanilla taste.

Tips how to use the piping bag:
Filling the piping bag: to make filling your piping bag easier, stand it upright in a mug or tall glass.
Using the piping bag: Don't overfill your piping bag, and squeeze from the top as you ice to prevent icing leaking out of the top.