Canele de Bordeaux

(from Ricardo Rosas, Faubourg Paris)

The Canele de Bordeaux is a traditional bite-sized cake from the Bordeaux region of southwestern France. With a caramelized sugar crust complementing a custardy, rum-flavoured filling, this sweet treat instantly transports the eater to the banks of the Garonne River in one bite.

¾ cup (185 mL) whole milk
2 2/3 tbsp (38 g) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, seeds and pod
1 ¼ cup (240) granulated sugar
1 ¼ cup (175) all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk
2 large eggs
3 tbsp (45 mL) dark rum

Split vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Heat milk, butter and vanilla pod and seeds together until butter melts and mixture is warmed through.

In a separate bowl, combine sugar and flour and sift together. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, and rum. Mix the egg-rum mixture into the flour-sugar mixture, then proceed to temper into milk mixture. Stir until all ingredients are mixed well together.

Let mixture cool in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Bake in prepared copper moulds (or silicone moulds if copper ones are not available).

To prepare a copper mould, first fill it with vegetable oil and heat in the oven at 375 F for about an hour. Remove from oven, pour out the oil, flip upside down and return to oven for an additional 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Fill moulds almost to the top and bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours at 375 F or until very dark brown or even almost black if desired.

Remove from the moulds as quickly as possible after taking out of oven by tapping firmly on a hard surface until the caneles pop out, using oven mitts. If they don’t come out easily, you can trace the edge of the mould with a toothpick to loosen the sides.

If using a silicon mould, it needs no preparation; the mixture can be poured in and popped out.

Makes 12 to 14 caneles

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