Apricot stuffed madeleines

How to make the perfect apricot stuffed madeleines. Once baked I serve them with a beautiful creme anglaise, a match made in heaven!

The creme anglaise

300 g	milk
200 g	cream 35%
100 g	sugar
1	lemon
0.5	vanilla pod
50 g	egg yolk
20 g	corn starch

Mix the milk with the cream, the sugar and the zest from the lemon. Then cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and the empty vanilla pod to the pan. Now cover it with a lid and heat it up till it starts to steam. Then turn off the heat and let it infuse for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile mix the egg yolk with the cornstarch. The cornstarch is traditionally not necessary, but I add it to stabilize the anglaise. After the hour bring the liquid to a simmer and remove the lid. Then while stirring slowly add the hot liquid to the yolks. Now pour it back into the pan and while stirring cook it till the temperature is 85 degrees Celsius. If you don’t have a thermometer just keep an eye on the thickness. This is what it should look like. Once it’s done pass it through a fine sieve. Using a ladle or spatula will make this a lot easier. Then cover it and let it cool down in your fridge. After that give it a final mix and then keep it in your fridge for later.

The apricot filling

9	apricots
60 g	cane sugar
	cinnamon stick
1/3	lemon

Take the apricots and cut them in half around the pit. Then break or twist them open and remove the pits. Now slice them in thin slice and slice those in small cubes. Then caramelize the cane sugar on a medium high heat. It takes a bit longer then with normal sugar, so keep an eye on it. Once your happy with the color and smell add the sliced apricots and turn down the heat. Let it simmer till you have a nice thick compote. Now season it with some grated cinnamon. You can also use cinnamon powder, but I prefer fresh because it’s not so bitter. Then turn off the heat. To add a touch of freshness also add the juice from a third of a lemon. Give it a final mix and then a taste for seasoning. Now pour it into a tray, cover it and keep it in your fridge for later.

The madeleine

125 g	butter
150 g	egg
125 g	sugar
3 g	salt
1	lemon
125 g	flour
7 g	baking powder
	melted butter & flour

I make the batter with beurre noisette, instead of normal butter for a lovely nutty flavor. Transfer the butter into a pan and caramelize it on a medium heat. Stir it every now and then to prevent it from burning. Once it starts to color turn down the heat for more control. This is the color and therefor flavor I’m looking for. Set it aside for later. Then mix the egg with the sugar, the salt and the zest from the lemon. Start beating it till it’s a fluffy and thick mixture. After that while mixing slowly add the warm beurre noisette. Now transfer the flour on a sieve and also add the baking powder. Pass it through the sieve to remove any lumps and then gently fold it in to create a beautiful airy madeleine batter. Then fill a piping bag and keep it in your fridge for later. Now you could already bake the madeleine like this, but I wanted to create a stuffed madeleine and therefor I needed a double sided baking tray. Unfortunately, that doesn’t exist yet, so I made my own by placing two on top of each other and drilling some holes to screw them together. It needs to be very tight, otherwise the batter will run out. Just be sure to wash it well to remove any little metal pieces. Once that’s done use a brush to add a thin layer of melted butter. Then add a thick layer of flour and tap the sides of the molds to create an even thin layer. Now fill the bottom with the batter and add a tablespoon on top. You can also create little balls beforehand, but I find that this is just as fast. Then cover the apricot compote with the batter. With the batter I made you can make 16 stuffed madeleines. Place the top half on the bottom one and screw them together. Like I said be sure it’s super tight otherwise the batter will leak out. Now bake them at 190 degrees Celsius for 14 minutes. After that take them out of the oven and let them cool down for 10 minutes. Then open up the baking tray and tap the madeleines out.

Now to serve the madeleines I folded a piece of thick paper into zigzag pattern. For decoration I also printed my logo with edible ink on the paper. Once I was happy with the shape I cut it to the desired size. I got inspired by this way of presenting by three Michelin star chef Julien from Odette in Singapore. I true legend in the industry. I mean, that looks super cool right! Now place the warm madeleines on the paper and decorate the top with some of the apricot compote and some marigold flower paddles. Then just fill a little bowl with the crème anglaise and there ready to be served!