At The French Exit, the madeleine is afforded the same reverence as any classic French dish: understated in form, exacting in execution, and steeped in nostalgia.
Though it only softly opened earlier this week, the restaurant – Anyday’s newest addition to Brisbane’s CBD – arrives with impressive credentials. Executive chef John-Paul Fiechtner (ex-Châteaubriand) and head chef Ryan Carlson (ex-St John, London) lead the kitchen, while the restaurant’s striking interiors, designed by Tamsin Johnson (our very own RUSSH Home Editor), bring the charm and grandeur of a Parisian bistro to a heritage-listed address on Mary Street.
Co-owner and Culinary Director Ben Williamson, alongside Group Pastry Chef Arthur Carré, reimagine the iconic shell-shaped cake through a modern bistro lens. The batter is rested overnight to deepen flavour and refine texture, then baked to order so each madeleine arrives warm, feather-light, and delicately crisp at the edges. It’s served with a roasted-milk chantilly – nutty, gently caramelised and luxuriously smooth — and finished with a restrained scattering of sea-salt flakes.
The result is a dessert that balances comfort with quiet sophistication – a small but expressive reflection of The French Exit itself, where classic French technique is grounded in warmth, generosity and genuine hospitality.
Equipment list
- Stand mixer (hand whisking is fine too!)
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Fine sieve
- Saucepan or microwave (for melting butter)
- Classic Madeleine mould (12-16 cavity)
- Pastry brush
- Piping bags (or spoon)
- Oven, fan-forced (convection)
- Medium oval plates
- Tea towels
- Silver coupe or small serving bowl
Ingredients
Yields 20 pieces | Prep time 30 minutes (+ resting) | Cook time 15 minutes
Madeleine batter
- 112g plain flour
- 48g baker’s flour
- 10g baking powder
- 160g unsalted butter
- 3 eggs, tempered
- 50g caster sugar
- 70g honey
Olive oil glaze
- 350g icing sugar
- 50g water
- 40g olive oil
- 5g ascorbic acid (optional) or 1 tsp of lemon juice
Roasted milk chantilly:
- 1000g thickened cream
- 100g icing sugar
- 100g skim milk powder
Method
Madeleine batter
- Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and honey and whisk until smooth.
- Sift together the plain flour, baker flour, and baking powder. Fold into the egg mixture until just combined.
- Gradually fold in the melted butter until fully incorporated.
- Cover the batter and rest in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C fan-forced.
- Butter each cavity of the madeleine mould and dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Pipe the batter into the moulds, filling ¾ full.
- Bake for 7–8 minutes until golden with a defined hump.
- Carefully remove from the mould immediately. Pipe or brush the glaze onto the back of each madeleine and allow it to set for 1–2 minutes.
- Return the glazed madeleines to the oven for 2 minutes at 180 °C.
Olive oil glaze
- Combine the icing sugar, water, olive oil, and ascorbic acid in a bowl.
- Whisk until smooth and fully emulsified.
- Transfer to a piping bag and reserve in the refrigerator until required.
Roasted milk chantilly
- Preheat the oven to 150 °C fan-forced.
- Spread the skim milk powder evenly on a tray and roast until dark brown in colour.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Combine the thickened cream, icing sugar, and roasted skim milk powder.
- Whip until fully combined.
- Whip just before serving for the best texture.
Presentation
- Line a medium oval plate with a folded tea towel.
- Before serving, warm four glazed madeleines in the oven at 180 °C for 2–3 minutes.
- Lightly whip a small amount of chantilly and spoon it into a silver coupe.
- Finish with a light dusting of roasted skim milk powder.
- Arrange the warm madeleines inside the tea towel.
- Serve immediately.
The French Exit is now open for bookings from Monday–Sunday, 9am-5pm. Reservations can be made online.
