Cannelés bordelais

Not much to do with Richelieu really - but they are rather nice and the Abbé Henri has just perfected their preparation.  Cannelés (or if authentically from Bordeaux 'canelés bordelais') are small caramelised crunchy/gooey cakes that taste like vanilla ice cream but without the ice and without the cream.  Served with a crème anglaise or custard the are pretty nice to eat, so here is the recipe:

Step 1:

Cannalé moulds; individual moulds of tinned copper are very pretty, but don't be tempted by authenticity as getting the little blighters out when they are hot is a nghtmare.....so.....acquire a lovely new silicone 8-cannelé mould from a cooking shop.

Step 2:

Ingredients for 16 cannelés (ie two 8-cannelé moulds)

A 0.5 litre full milk

B 2 whole eggs

C 2 egg yolks

D 2-4 vanilla beans (fresher are better than dried out; not vanilla extract)

E 1.5 tablespoons dark 'Navy' rum

F 100 grams plain flour

G 200-250 grams caster sugar (more or less sweet to choice)

H 50 grams butter (reduce to 25 grams? - omit entirely?)

Step 3 

Preparation stage 1

1 Split the vanilla beans length-wise and scrape out the precious seeds

2 Add beans seeds and butter to the milk, bring to the boil and take off heat

3 Mix the flour, sugar, eggs and egg yolks in a bowl

4 Whisk at high speed for 3-5 minutes

5 Remove bean casings from the warm milk and transfer it gradually into the flour mix bowl

6 Add all the vanilla milk to the flour (with all the seeds but not the beans)

7 Whisk for 3-5 minutes as before

8 Cool the mix for 1 hour and then mix in the rum

9 Cool the mixture overnight in a fridge (or some say for 24 hours)

Step 4

Preparation stage 2 (next day)

1 Preheat the oven to 270 deg C (520 deg F); this is usually right at the maximum for most domestic ovens (slightly less for fan ovens)

2 Fill all the 8 moulds to 80%; don't leave any empty

3 BAKE at high temperature for 6-9 minutes (more or less caramelised outside), then

4 Reduce oven temperature to 180 deg C (350 deg F) and BAKE for at least another 1 hour (more or less gooey/cakey inside)

5 Cover with aluminium foil after 20 minutes of the hour

6 Take the mould out of the oven and invert onto a pie grid and let cool

7 After 10 minutes tap the canelés out from the silicone mould without damaging them

Step 5; Consumption

Two each. They are best after 1 hour; they can be frozen; they go rubbery if left out any real time.

Serve with real custard or crème anglaise (or maybe with real vanilla ice cream).

Would be nice with a bottle of Coteaux de Layon, or even a half bottle of Bonnezeaux

A English canelé site with lots of pictures

A French canelé site