I’m still experimenting with bergamot. I have a very special cake coming up and I want to nail this flavour. I’m finding it tricky to get the Earl Grey flavour to come through without being overpowering. When I made the batter, I thought the flavour was quite strong, but when the madeleines baked, the flavour wasn’t as pronounced as I would have liked it to be.  I’ll add more zest next time. Having said that, I think my aunties for whom I made these tasty morsels will be happy with the flavour profile; not everyone is a bergamot fan.

I made the madeleines with my new mini madeleine tins which I bought in Corbridge, a beautiful village in Northumberland with a great cook shop. I hadn’t used this type of tray before, so I was guessing how long to leave the madeleines in the oven. The first batch was in for 10 minutes and were golden brown, but to be honest they were a bit dry. The second batch came out slightly paler as I brought them out after 8 minutes. They were perfect. I think it depends on your oven as to how long to keep them in for. The normal sized madeleines are usually baked for 9-10 minutes.  

Ingredients

90g unsalted butter

2 tsp honey

2 large eggs

75g caster sugar

1and ½ tsp bergamot zest. (Use 2 tsp if you prefer a stronger flavour)

90g plain flour plus extra for dusting

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

3 tbsp icing sugar

1-2 tsp bergamot juice

Directions

1. You can follow David Leibovitz’s suggestion and grease then flour the tins and put them in the freezer for an hour. This is supposed to create the characteristic bump on the back of the shell. However, the cakes will taste just as good if you don’t freeze the tins.
2. Place the butter and honey in a small saucepan over a low heat until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and set aside to come to room temperature.
3. Place the eggs, sugar, and bergamot zest in a food processor and mix until smooth and combined. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, then add to the egg mixture. Pulse a few times, just to mix in, and add the cooled butter and honey mixture. Process once more to combine, then pour the batter into a small bowl. Cover with cling film and allow to rest in the fridge for about an hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6. If you are using metal madeleine trays, brush the moulds with melted butter and sprinkle liberally with flour. Silicone trays should not need any greasing or flouring, but you can lightly brush with a little melted butter if you like. Tap to ensure that all the moulds are dusted and then shake off the excess flour. If you have put the trays in the freezer, you can take them out now.
5. Spoon a heaped teaspoon of batter into each mould: it should rise two-thirds of the way up the sides of the moulds. If you only have one madeleine tray, place the remaining batter in the fridge until you have baked the first batch. You will need to wash and dry the mould completely before greasing and flouring again and repeating with the second batch.
6. Bake for 8 minutes, until the madeleines are beginning to brown around the edges and they spring back once tapped lightly in the middle. Remove the tray(s) from the oven and set aside for a minute before releasing the cakes. The best way to do this with a metal tray, is to go around the edges of each madeleine with a small knife or spatula (to make sure they are not stuck) and then tap the edge of the tray on the bench until they fall out. With a silicone tray they should just fall out of their moulds. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool.
7. Add a little of the bergamot juice to the icing sugar and mix. If you add too much juice, the icing sugar will just sink into the madeleines rather than forming a white coat. Also, as you add the juice, check you like the flavour. You should be able to taste the bergamot, but it should not be bitter. When you are happy with the consistency, dip the narrow end of the madeleine into it and leave to dry.