Honey and Lavender Madeleine Cakes

Honey & Lavender are one of my favorite combinations. Simply uttering the words together sends a fluttering of taste memories and pleasureful experiences through my mind. Like visiting the lavender fields in the Provence region of France...

Honey Bees go crazy for lavender. And as prevalent as they are in the field, they'd much rather stick to their fragrant violet flowers than pay humans any attention. 

This recipe is so quintessentially French, that i just had to post it, as France is one of the biggest influences in my food profile. I made these little cakes for my mother's Garden Party but I'll admit that a good majority were eaten in the kitchen before guests even arrived. Their so hard to resist when their so tiny and warm. Dip into your favorite local honey, and you'll be transported to the Provence in your imagination. Enjoy!

Honey & Lavender Madeleine Cakes

(Recipe from At My French Table, a book gifted to my from my brother, Scott)

Ingredients: 

100g butter, plus extra for greasing

2 tablespoons honey (local is best)

3 eggs

1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar

1 tablespoon soft brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

100g self-rising flour

2 organic or unsprayed lavender sprigs, finely chopped

Plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting

icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat over to 180 degrees for large Madeleine Cakes, Bump to 210 for smaller

Step1. 

Melt butter and honey in a small saucepan over low heat and put in medium sized bowl to cool. 

Step 2.

Once cool, add eggs, one at a time, then add both sugars, vanilla, and sift in flour. Stir lavender flowers into the mixture.

Step 3. 

Prepare your madeleine pan by brushing with melted butter and dusting with flour. 

Step4.

Spoon 1 Tablespoon of batter into each mould, then bake for 10 minutes. For smaller madeleine cakes, use 1-2 teaspoons, the mould should only be filled half way. And bake smaller cakes for about 6 minutes. You want the little belly to stick out. 

Step5. 

Cool cakes for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving. 

Garden Party: Part I

 

 

    Since my first catering adventure was a success, my sister suggested to my mother that,  together, we cater her upcoming 'Garden Party'. What is a Garden Party you ask? It's a party where your friends come over and walk around your garden. My mom used to have a party where guests walked around and admired her Christmas decorations, but she got tired of that I guess... This would just be a casual, open house-type of event, with people coming and going. Close to eighty-five formal invitations were sent; Then you add verbal invitations to close friends, and consider some people would bring their children... My sister and I would prepare an outdoor spread for close to 100 people.

 

I apologize if this photo is offensive to Vegetarians

 

 

Now, since I was not cooking for a vegan crowd, there were a few protein options not suitable for this blog. Including barbeque pulled pork sliders which I was actually very proud of. All of our sandwiches were served on freshly baked bread from Bread Bar in L.A., and we garnished our platters with edible flowers for a true touch of Spring.

 

The first recipe for the Garden Party comes, in fact, from the last course. Strawberry Fools are a perfect dessert for Spring or Summer because they are fruit-filled, chilled, and easy to make ahead. My sister got the idea from a friend, and I got some very cute baking cups from Sur La Table to add some color to the table.  

 

 

 

STRAWBERRY FOOLS

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces strawberries, halved
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream
• 1/2 cup crème fraiche
• 12 edible rose petals (fresh or candied)

Directions

Step 1.

Puree strawberries, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until mixture is slightly chunky. (I actually pureed this pretty good).

Step 2.

Whisk heavy cream, crème fraiche, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. (This takes a while). Fold in strawberry mixture until just swirled through. Divide among 12 glasses. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (We put them in the freezer for about 2 hours).

 

 

Step 3.

 Garnish each fool with a rose petal (we used a variety of edible flower petals) just before serving.