Canelés de Bordeaux, also know as cannelé Bordelais, are magical French bakery confections, little fluted cakes with a rich rum and vanilla interior enclosed by a thin caramelised shell. This brilliant recipe was developed a long ago by an anonymous Bordeaux cook, whose innovation has been subjected to 300 years of refinements.
You’ll Need:
- 1/2 liter milk
- 2 whole eggs, plus
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
- 1/2vanilla beans or 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 -4 tablespoons rum
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- butter, for greasing
- sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions:
- The day before: boil the milk with the vanilla and butter.
- Take off the heat, allow to cool VERY slightly.
- Mix the flour and sugar together, then add the eggs and egg yolks, pour this mixture in the hot milk.
- Gently mix in order to obtain a fluid and smooth mixture, like a pancake batter, let it cool, then add the rum.
- Place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours to 48 hours maximum.
- When you are ready to bake the caneles: preheat the oven to 250C/495°F.
- Butter the moulds liberally and then sprinkle some sugar in to the moulds.
- Pour the batter in to the buttered and sugared caneles moulds, they should be 3/4 full - NO more.
- Place the moulds on a baking sheet, and cook on high for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 175C/350F and continue cooking for 1 hour at least. (It depends on your oven, it can take up to 1 and a quarter hours!) The tops will have a brown crust when they are ready, and they should still be moist inside.
- Carefully unmould them whilst they are still hot. Allow them to cool.
- Serve with tea or coffee for breakfast, or with a glass of wine or cognac in the late afternoon or evening.
