We leave Provence and travel west to Bordeaux and discover the regional speciality that is the Cannelé. Customarily, these little pastries are eaten for breakfast, a snack as a dessert. Anytime! Fresh out of the oven, the fragrant rum and vanilla infused delicacies boast a crunchy and golden crust that gives way to a dense, yet creamy, custardy centre.
A unique trademark of the Cannelé is the baking technique, which traditionally uses copper moulds coated with beeswax. Beeswax will not burn at the high temperatures necessary to bake these pastries, and aids the caramelisation process that provides the characteristic golden crust. The drawback with using copper moulds is they are not cheap. But the good news is somewhat similar results can be achieved baking with tin and silicon moulds.
Of interest, the name Canelé de Bordeaux is reserved for the custardy cake found exclusively in the city, with Cannelés Bordelais the label given to any version outside of Bordeaux.
{ Cannelés Bordelais }
Adapted from various sources including Ripailles by Stéphane Reynaud, Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook by Martha Stewart, and Lenôtre in Paris
Despite using copper and beeswax as part of the process, these pastries did not crust as dark as I would like. Perhaps the oven should be even higher? But now that investment in copper moulds has been made – and I have enough beeswax to coat them 100 times over! – a perfect excuse for more trials until I achieve that perfectly dark crust.
Note: this is not a recipe you can pull together last minute. The moulds need preparation, and the batter must be refrigerated for 1-4 days in advance. But well worth planning ahead.
* Ingredients *
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
½ vanilla pod or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 large egg yolks
2 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum
3/4 cup flour
Pinch of salt
* Directions *
Bring half the milk, butter and vanilla to a simmer and cook until butter has melted. Allow to cool. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, rum and remaining milk. Add the flour and salt and whisk to combine. Add the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture in a slow steady stream. Strain through a sieve. Cover and refrigerate for 1-4 days. Preheat the oven to 400F or 200C. Prepare the moulds. (See tip below.) Remove batter from the refrigerator and whisk vigorously. Fill each mould to 1/8 inch or 3mm from the top. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until Cannelés are dark brown and slip easily from their moulds, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Makes 8 Cannelés
{ Tip… }
If you are using tin moulds, coat with butter or oil and freeze for 30 minutes prior to baking.
If you are using silicon moulds, you have two options. Due to the non-stick nature of the silicon, you can use as is. Alternatively, you can brush with some butter or oil, and freeze for 30 minutes in a similar fashion to a tin mould above.
If you are using copper moulds, you also have two options. Heat the moulds in the oven at the same time as melting some beeswax. Then carefully coat the hot moulds with a thin layer of wax. Let the excess drip for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can brush with some butter or oil, and freeze for 30 minutes in a similar fashion to a tin mould above.
{ Where to buy the moulds? }
Find tin moulds at retailers such as Sur La Table
Find silicon moulds at retailers such as Amazon
Find copper moulds at retailers such as Sur La Table and Amazon
November 25, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Damn, you beat me to it! Well done. I’ve had a draft developing for months now (first mentioned back in March on my site, I think). That’ll teach me to drag my feet. Lots of useful info Julia 🙂
November 25, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Duncan, I can’t wait to read your post. You will have to finish it soon. Yes?You always include the most minute detail – I love it!
So even though I used the beeswax + copper combination, I didn’t get that super dark crust. Any thoughts why?
November 25, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Those moulds are a a sight to behold, and a fine investment I’m sure! I like the idea of batters that can be made ahead and left in the fridge, especially one that lasts up to 4 days! Thanks for sharing Julia.
November 26, 2009 at 12:29 am
J’adore cannelés ! Oooh I am so excited that this is the current featured French sweet. Whenever I am in Paris – of course I go to Pierre Hermé like many people do… but I don’t actually buy his macarons. I get his cannelé (and tablettes de chocolat too !). I have so many recipes for them, and even silicon cannelé molds, but just never made them – knowing they wouldn’t come out perfect, so dark on the outside, with that thick rigid shell, and almost custardy on the inside. But now I’ve got your recipe – and plenty of inspiration.
You even used beeswax? Bah dis-donc, you do continue to amaze me !
November 26, 2009 at 12:29 am
I coveted those molds..and bought a good quality silicone one instead.. I’ll come back to your recipe when I make them again..I like my mold..but you know you should have bought what you really wanted when you see them and still covet..
Covetous me..
They photographed beautifully..you made them proud.
November 26, 2009 at 3:14 am
Looks complicated but delicious. I wonder if the French bakery downtown in Ottawa sells them?
November 26, 2009 at 4:11 am
Splendid! I’d love to find such moulds here!
Cheers,
Rosa
November 26, 2009 at 5:06 am
They are much nicer than the ones I made. http://www.winosandfoodies.com/2005/12/wawhhh_i_need_h.html
Mine fell apart taking them out of the moulds. I used butter as I could not buy beeswax at the time.
November 26, 2009 at 5:16 am
These look fabulous! I’ve never eaten a Cannelé. I think I’ve been missing out!
November 26, 2009 at 7:21 am
I recently tried some too, but although others liked them, I wasn’t a fan.
November 26, 2009 at 7:29 am
Ohh I want one now! The golden crust on the outside looks amazing. I didn’t know they used beeswax, how intriguing!
November 26, 2009 at 7:51 am
Aren’t those copper moulds pretty? I am sure they will be a worth while investment.
Oh and to answer your question Julia yes I have the black Wilton colour and it is quite good so far. Although I have only used it for colouring small amounts of fondant black and to paint with. But for those applications it works well.