Chile-Infused Honey Madeleines #TheCakeSliceBakers

Fall is chile season in New Mexico.

And let me tell you-- pumpkin spice ain't got 'nuthin on the smell of the roasting green chile that fills the air (but don't get me wrong-- I do love pumpkin spice, too!)

I live in the (self-proclaimed) chile capitol of the world. My Kentucky-raised husband once asked my mom what was so great about New Mexico chile.

"Because we have the perfect climate for growing chile, the perfect soil, and the noblest hearts. And because."  

-- My Mom

So when I saw these Chile-Infused Honey Madeleines, it was a no-brainer.

Chile-- check.

Honey-- check.

Buttery, delicious madeleines (the cutest of tiny cakes)-- check.

And I wasn't disappointed.

The author of "Gateau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes" makes the stunning admission that these spicy cakelets can barely even be counted as French-- but her Parisian friend liked them when she made them.

Authentic or not, I'll happily eat a whole pan.

The recipe calls for store bought hot honey and includes a recipe to make a full cup of homemade spicy goodness (neither of which would go to waste in my house). But since the recipe only called for 2 tablespoons, I just decided to DIY. I cut a couple slices of a chile, put a couple tablespoons of honey in a small dish, and nuked it for 20 seconds in the microwave.

Hoo-wee, that stuff is spicy (which is what I like!)

The madeleines came together easily with just a few ingredients.

A hint of orange.

Regular or cake flour (the cookbook says you can use either).

Rich butter.

Fluffy whipped eggs.

The recipe called for letting the batter rest for a minimum of 6 hours (and up to overnight). I've never done this before for madeleines, and I can only guess that this step is to fully hydrate the flour (like you do when making canele).

To get the iconic madeleine shape, you need a madeleine tin. But if you don't have one, these little cakes would be just as good in a mini muffin tin.

Even having used some potent spicy honey, the madeleines just had a hint of chile flavor that lingered to remind you of your last bite.

This would be a great breakfast or brunch option (and you could use regular honey if you don't eat chile at literally every meal like I do. Not even kidding.).

So give these Chile-Infused Honey Madeleines a try! They aren't authentic, but they are delicious.

Chile-Infused Honey Madeleines

From "Gateau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes" by Aleksandra Crapanzano

6 T butter

3/4 cup flour (cake or all-purpose, whatever you have on hand)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

zest of 1 grated orange

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs (room temp)

2 T chile-infused honey (she recommends Mike's Hot Honey)

2 teaspoons orange juice or tequila (I used orange juice)

Melt the butter in a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, rub the orange zest with the sugar to release the oils. Add the eggs and beat until fluffy, frothy, and pale. With the mixer still running, add the honey and orange juice (or tequila) and beat for one more minute.

Fold the dry ingredients into the flour mix with a rubber spatula. Pour the melted butter in and stir to combine. 

Refrigerate the batter in a sealed container or spoon the batter into a buttered and floured madeleine tin and cover with foil and refrigerate 6-12 hours. 

Heat your oven to 400F. Immediately after sticking the madeleines in the oven, turn it down to 375F and bake 11-13 minutes (or until golden). Remove from the mold and enjoy!

Each month The Cake Slice Bakers are offered a selection of cakes from the current book we are baking through. This year it is Gâteau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes by Aleksandra Crapanzano. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!

Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the links below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details.

The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book.

It is a new year and a new book - Gâteau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes - and our choices for August 2023 were ~

Chile-Infused Honey Madeleines

• All That's left Are The Crumbs
• A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Amandie Bakes

Pierre Hermé's Half-Baked Chocolate Cake

• Karen's Kitchen Stories

Gluten-Free Fig Cake

• A Little Bit of All Right