I seriously couldn’t love these miniature baked biscuits enough. It was only recently that I was introduced to this iconic French sweet. Since, I’ve tried dozens of variations from raspberry and lemon & poppyseed to honey & saffron and plain French butter & vanilla. I was asked by dear friend and Napa Valley client to create an elegant savory appetizer to accompany a 10 year old Krug Champagne. Chef de Caves Eric Lebel and his cellar team skillfully blend Krug Grande Cuvée from around 120 wines from ten or more back vintages. This artisan craftsmanship lends exceptional generosity of dried fruit, nut, marzipan and citrus aroma followed only by a majestic presence of nougat, honey and brioche flavor. Bending the French baking rules ever so slightly I substituted butter for high quality extra virgin olive oil from Marciano Estate. My savory madeleine is accented with exceptional aromas fresh rosemary, floral honey and nutty aged French Comté cheese.

Like any pastry, lovers of this classic French biscuit will argue as to which baking mold works better. After a lot of research I discovered most bakers attest to the consistency of non-stick madeleine tray (found here on Amazon). You will notice three Madeleines missing for no other reason than they smelled too irresistible. 2 seconds out of the oven, they were gone!

Ingredients:-

 - 2 whole eggs

 - 100g caster sugar (3.5 oz.)

 - 2 tbsp honey

 - 3g baking powder

 - 100g all-purpose flour (3.5 oz.)

 - 100g extra virgin olive oil (3.5 oz.)

 - 1 cup aged comté cheese, loosely packed, finely shredded

 - 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

 - zest half a lemon

 - ¼ tsp fine kosher salt

 - 1 tbsp butter (1 oz.) for greasing

Steps:-

1. Whisk whole eggs and sugar together vigorously for 1 minute, add honey and continue whisking for another 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.

2. Sift in flour and baking powder. Fold through delicately to incorporate until smooth

3. Add oil, rosemary and lemon zest and whisk to combine into a thick batter. Cover with plastic wrap and allow mixture to sit on the counter for at least 1 hour (or in the fridge overnight) allowing baking powder to activate.

4. Add grated cheese and fold through to combine.

5. Using a small ice cream scoop, portion batter into the tray, filling each mold ¾ full.

6. Preheat oven to 375ºF and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden and “humps” spring back to when touch.

About Author:

Tim is an Australian food and wine writer and accredited nutritionist. When cooking, Tim loves using healthy, local ingredients accented with bold multicultural flavors. Discover Tim’s endless recipes and multicultural food ideas on Instagram @tc_neumann or through Beverage Trade Network articles.