What is a canelé made of?

A canelé is a small French pastry containing a mix of vanilla, rum, egg, butter, sugar, and flour . They're quite challenging to make, requiring patience, practice, attentiveness, and perseverance.

Do you have to use beeswax for canelé?

TL;DR: You can bake fantastic canneles without expensive copper molds or beeswax . The best option for those wishing to bake canneles on a budget is to use a carbon steel pan with floured baking spray.

Can I make canelé without rum?

Rum and Vanilla - Rum and vanilla are the two main aromas of the canelé. You can omit or just use one or the other . If you are not using rum, replace it with the same amount of milk.

Why freeze canelé mold?

You MUST freeze the coated molds for at least 30 minutes. If you don't, the crust will burn before the inside is set . You MUST let the batter rest for at least 24 hours; if you don't, you'll end up with tough caneles.

Why is canelé so expensive?

Like aromatic bread, time is an ingredient in properly preparing the canelé, especially their copper molds . To my knowledge, France is the only place in the world you can specially order them, and they're expensive. A set of six copper canelé molds can cost between $130 and $160 not including shipping.

Should canelés be refrigerated?

How should I store my canelés? Leave them at room temperature, in the box provided, on the day of delivery. If not consumed on this day, move them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge . Let the canelés come to room temperature before eating again.

A canelé (or cannelé) is a small French pastry with a moist custard-like centre and a dark, thick caramelized crust. It is the shape of a striated cylinder approximately 5 cms in height and is a specialty of Bordeaux. These contain too much sugar for me to claim that they're positively good for you .

Why does canelé rise too much?

If the oven isn't properly pre-heated the canelés will not bake properly. If filled not enough, the canelés will not rise above the molds (similar to a souffle) before collapsing back. If filled too much, they will rise too far above the rim, overflow and not collapse back .

Can you use rum extract instead of rum in tiramisu?

Can you make tiramisu without alcohol? If you want the rum flavor without the rum, substitute ⅛ teaspoon rum extract mixed with 2 tablespoons water .

How long can you keep canelé batter for?

5 days probably the max you'd want your batter in the fridge when you're baking these pastries. Paula Wolfert says you can even freeze cannelé batter for up to two weeks, then defrost once you're ready to bake.

Why is my canelé mushrooming?

My French caneles are mushrooming in the oven! Too much air in the batter ! Make sure to strain more than once and allow to sit for at least 16 hours before baking.

What is a fun fact about canelé?

Relatedly, the word Canelé originates from the French word for “fluted.” The Canelé is believed to date back between the 15th and 18th centuries. Most historians claim that the sweet custard pastry came from different places in Bordeaux or Southern France, regions known to be heavily inhabited by local winemakers.

Why are caneles so good?

Perhaps the most important thing that goes into the treat's production isn't an ingredient. Instead, what about the classically copper mold that gives it its distinctive shape? Copper is a fantastic conductor of heat, thus giving the Canelés their perfect texture .

What is the difference between financier and canelé?

Two of them, the canelé, a custardy confection with a caramelized crust from Bordeaux, and the financier, an almond-flour tea cake that was first sold in the area around La Bourse (traders prized them as a convenient snack, hence the name), are favorite afternoon treats with the French.

How to make Cannelés de Bordeaux (Canelés recipe and technique) (2024)

When it comes to pastry, you cannot get more "classic French" than cannelés (pronounced "can-eh-lay"), also spelled canelés. They come from the Bordeaux region of France, where they are a regional pride. And rightly so, because they are absolutely delicious accompaniments to tea, breakfast, or as a dessert.

They are surprisingly simple pastries, needing only basic ingredients–milk, flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and vanilla. But baking them at high heat in ridged fluted molds transforms them from a liquid batter to deep golden brown treasures. The outer shell is crunchy and crisp while the inside is delicious custard.

For reasons that escape me, Cannelés are still rather rare outside of France unless you are lucky enough to have a bakery around that sells them. The task is left up to passionate home bakers to make them. I make them quite often. Cannelés are one of my favorite pastries, a privilege they don't share with many others. I highly recommend giving them a try.

Ingredients

Makes about 18 medium-sized cannelés

Cannelés

500 grams whole milk (17.6 ounces, 2 cups)
50 grams butter (1.7 ounces, 3.5 tablespoons)
185 grams white granulated sugar (6.5 ounces, 3/4 cup)
150 grams bread flour (5.3 ounces, ~1 cup)
3 egg yolks (100 grams, 3.5 ounces)
3 grams salt (0.1 ounce, 1 large pinch)
1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50 grams cognac or dark rum (1.7 ounces, ~1/4 cup)

I personally prefer cognac for cannelés, though rum is the traditional liquor. It has a unique aroma and taste which give the cannelés more character. Rum tends to be a little more bland in the final product. You want to use a medium quality liquor for cannelés as a cheap one will come through and the nuances of a very premium liquor will be lost in baking anyway. This is true of most pastries.

Special Equipment

Cannelés Molds

You will need some special molds in order to make cannelés. Copper molds will yield the best result, but they come at a high cost ($20 - $30 a piece) for French brands. Copper is a highly conductive metal, which will transfer the oven heat to the batter quickly and consistently to form a dark brown crust. The most affordable molds I've found are these copper Darware molds made in India for a set of 4 (roughly $8 each).

Other metals will have a similar effect, though neither aluminum nor steel come even remotely close to the conductivity in copper. The inexpensive alternative is silicone. Silicone molds work well enough, but will never yield a perfect canelé. They also require some extra time in the oven for an uneven result; the middle of the sides will always be less cooked than the top or bottom. If you can afford them, spring for the copper.

How to make Cannelés de Bordeaux (Canelés recipe and technique) (1)

How to make Cannelés de Bordeaux (Canelés recipe and technique) (2)

How to make Cannelés de Bordeaux (Canelés recipe and technique) (3)

How to make Cannelés de Bordeaux (Canelés recipe and technique) (4)

Additional Equipment

How to make Cannelés de Bordeaux (Canelés recipe and technique) (5)

How to make Cannelés de Bordeaux (Canelés recipe and technique) (6)

How to make Cannelés de Bordeaux (Canelés recipe and technique) (7)

How to make Cannelés de Bordeaux (Canelés recipe and technique) (8)

How to make Cannelés de Bordeaux (Canelés recipe and technique) (9)

You can skip the beeswax in favor of butter or even nonstick spray, but it's not recommended. Beeswax seals the cannelés for a longer shelf life and forms a crust for a crisp shell. And while there is no added flavor, it does give a nice mouthfeel.

Preparation

Heat the milk, butter, and vanilla to a rolling boil then turn off the heat. Allow the vanilla to steep while you prepare the other steps.

At this point, the batter will be very liquid. Finally, whisk in the cognac.

The cannelés will rise in their molds like a soufflé before collapsing back into their molds, so be sure there is a pan below to catch the excess butter that will drip out. You might have to take the cannelés out to slightly cool if they rise too high over the top. This quick-rise period at high heat will help to start the browning process for the crunchy outer shell. It will continue to crisp at the lower heat while forming a custard inside.

You want a very dark brown color. When they look brown ready to come out, let them bake for 10 minutes longer. Cannelés bake to a very deep brown, much more than you are used to with other pastries. If you are worried they are starting to burn, you can always unmold one to check. You might be surprised by a blonde interior, especially if using silicone molds.

It's extremely important to unmold the cannelés while they are still hot from the oven. The heat will drive out steam and keep the exterior nice and crisp.

Enjoy your cannelés the day-of when they are crispiest. If you used beeswax, they will last a bit longer. Do not cover or refrigerate them or they will lose their crunchy shell.

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