Recipe: Lavender Honey Madeleines by Hyoju Park of Madeleine de Proust

Madeleines hold a special place in Hyoju Park’s heart. The co-owner of Carlton’s Madeleine de Proust was just 14 when she made her first batch, and little did she know she’d go on to work in kitchens like London’s three-Michelin-star Mingles Clinches and Melbourne’s beloved Attica.

In French, “Madeleine de Proust” refers to the smells, tastes and sounds that evoke childhood memories, and these lavender honey madeleines are exactly that for the acclaimed pastry chef. “When I was in the UK I went to a lavender farm and the smell of lavender is so strong and powerful; it makes everyone feel calm but at the same time it is associated with femininity and power,” says Park. “So when I first heard about the F5 Collective, that idea of female power came to mind.”

While Park and her partner Rong Yao Soh’s creations appear highly technical, Park says “as long as measuring is correct and the temperature is correct, it shouldn't go too wrong”. And at the end is a sweet reward. “I always make either a coffee or black tea in the afternoon and dip the madeleine into the tea. It makes my whole day.”

If you don't want to make these yourselves but still want to try them, the Madeleine de Proust team has these limited edition madeleines available for two weeks only, at the Carlton store and for F5's La Femme event.

Lavender honey madeleines by Hyoju Park

Makes 12 large or 20 small depending on the madeleine moulds you’re using

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 10-13 minutes

Ingredients

Lavender madeleine batter

• 125g cake flour
• 5g baking powder
• 0.6g salt (a pinch)
• 105g unsalted butter
• 7g milk
• 1 egg
• 80g caster sugar
• 10g Leatherwood honey (or any local honey)
• 0.5g lavender powder (a pinch)

Lavender glaze

• 50g icing sugar
• 5g water
• 7g extra virgin olive oil
• 5g lemon juice
• 3g honey
• 0.6g lavender powder

Method

Preheat the oven to 210°C. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to boil and reduce to a simmer. Place a heatproof bowl over the pot and melt the butter. Add the milk and keep the temperature around 40°C.

In another heatproof bowl, warm the egg, sugar, honey and lavender powder to 30°C, whisking gently. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined, then gradually incorporate the butter-milk mixture in three additions, mixing until smooth and emulsified.

Pipe the batter into the moulds, filling each cavity 80 per cent. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 180°C and bake for 10-13 minutes, until risen and golden. Remove from the moulds immediately and cool on a wire rack.

For the glaze, sift the icing sugar and mix with water, olive oil, lemon juice and honey until smooth. Add the lavender powder and stir until evenly blended. Once the madeleines are completely cooled, brush a thin layer of glaze over each piece, then sprinkle some extra lavender on top. Allow to air dry at room temperature.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with F5 Collective. La Femme, F5’s first activation, blends shopping with storytelling, design and innovation to put the spotlight on the next breakout women-owned brands. It takes place on November 13 in Melbourne – get more details here.