Cannelés de Bordeaux

30.6.10

Cannelés de Bordeaux
ahh, there's just so much to say about these these little cakes which originated from the bordeaux region in france, my (and i'm sure many others') love-hate affair with them. using relatively simple ingredients which resemble a crepe batter, the end result after baking on high heat for a considerable length of time is a thick chewy caramelized crust and soft custardy innards perfumed with rum & vanilla. bittersweet, aromatic and addictive would be the perfect adjectives to describe them.

traditionally baked using copper molds that needed to be treated with beeswax prior to baking, many bakers these days opt for the easier (and cheaper) way out by using silicon molds. i'm no exception. you might too if you knew how much these little copper molds are. one tiny two-inch mold costs about US$20 on amazon. i could easily afford one for sure, but not 16 or 20 thats usually required to make a batch of these babies. so silicon is the way to go.

Cannelés de Bordeaux
basically the bad thing about using a silicon mold is the browning. the cannelés were so difficult to brown on the surface despite the fact that the bottoms were already charred. needless to say, my first attempt last year was less than desirable and i gave up after the 1st try. then it was only i read up on some tips that i was ready to give it another go. it seemed like the trick is to leave the silicon mold directly on the baking rack instead of a tray so the browning would be more apparent. we tend to like putting the mold on a tray so its easier to carry around. i also baked these for a longer time than what was originally stated - 1.5 hrs instead of an hr.

Cannelés de Bordeaux
and you bet these were worth the time and effort put in! had them for breakfast the nx morning and easily popped ten one after another. oh there goes my diet! i really like the contrast between chewy exterior and soft spongy interior and despite the fact these weren't very aromatic while baking in the oven (i actually smelled burnt plastic coz of silicon), they actually smell good upon cooling! so happy i gave these a second go, now i can finally say i've baked madeleines, financiers and caneles before, which is rather important consider i wanna try attempting all kinds of french bakes, be it rustic or modern. and despite feeling pretty satisfied with this attempt, i would one day still like to experience baking them using the traditional copper molds coz the use of beeswax as i read, would help give the canneles a firm crust.

recipe adapted from here


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Loves french pastries, japanese sweets and the finer things in life.

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21 comments

  1. Rafael M. Hernandez4:10 AM

     Hey great job on the cannéles. You can buy your copper molds from this store located in Paris:
    http://www.e-dehillerin.fr/index.php
    I think the large molds are 10 euros ea plus shipping. I think it's way cheaper than amazon even with the currency exchange and shipping. I bought mine there two years ago.

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  2. Allie1:59 PM

    These look gorgeous and very delicious! I love how they brown so beautifully :).

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  3. Reiz3:15 PM

    I like the use of the newspaper for the background. Gives me the rustic simple no frill feeling.

    This is new to me! I have not tried them before though. But, lt sure looks like it will be good with coffee.  Haven't been visiting for a while.. How's the diet coming along? :)

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  4. Angela10:42 PM

    Yummy! But the disadvantage of using silicon mold is the uneven colour and caramelisation of the outer layer...

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  5. Chelle11:11 AM

    wow. these look really cute and petite, im sure popping them into your mouth is surely a given. (: mmmm, how does these stay in the oven at moderate heat without burning? 1hr + in the hot oven i would have assumed something so small to be totally gone alr! i like the 2nd picture! pretty.

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  6. bossacafez12:06 PM

    haha, same sentiments exactly! i thought the same thing as u did, heres why. coz the batter is really liquidy and i mean really liquid. normally cakes are like really thick whereas these are not. probably why they can withstand baking for so long. i was amazed too! but the bottoms are like really charred lor.

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  7. bossacafez12:06 PM

    yea i agree. but these will hv to do until i can afford those copper molds *hinting for a bday pressie* haha

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  8. bossacafez12:08 PM

    hi girl, nice to see u around! yea i like the newspaper too, seems to go well with some objects. diet's ok, slacking sometimes but i believe i can do it eventually. what abt u? see u hv been holidaying!

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  9. bossacafez12:09 PM

    thank you allie :)  love your cocoa nib cookies too! can't wait to see yr rendition of the cranberry rose cookies :D

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  10. bossacafez12:09 PM

    hi rafael thx for dropping by! 10 euros is about $20 converted back to singapore dollars, i still can't afford lol but maybe i can afford the small ones, thx for the link!

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  11. Lameen Abdul-Malik3:02 AM

    Wow ! these look really lovely and now your simple recipe has given me 2 ideas, introduce them to my cafe in Cape Town and bake them myself. Thanks for sharing

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  12. felicia8:47 AM

    wow. never knew the moulds were so expensive!
    these look amazing. i love the golden colour!
    im on the opposite end - i've never baked madeleines, financiers nor caneles before! :P
    you're amazing!

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  13. bossacafez2:29 PM

    i think copper utensils are VERY ex! something like a small saucepan could cost up to $80. yea similarly i've not made any fondant cakes before haha.

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  14. Evan @swEEts2:00 AM

    These look delicious! I can't imagine having to spend that much on little molds though. Just found your blog and wanted to say hello from one Evan to another :) You don't find too many female Evan's who love to bake and have blogs so I just had to say hello! :)

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  15. shirley@kokken697:12 AM

    Hi Evan, I think your canales looks beautfiul! Despite the use of silicone molds, these turn out perfectly caramelised! And I love the bite sized portions. My copper molds, I feel, are a tad too big....I usually leave my batter overnight - shall experiment with 3 hour aging and see what happens. Beautiful photos as usual!

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  16. bossacafez1:42 PM

    hi shirley thx but its far from being perfectly caramelized! the crisp didn't last too long. i love yours tho', they hv the perfect texture and "look" inside and out! i didn't leave them for 3 hrs, its just 30 mins which i think is better in my opinion.

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  17. bossacafez1:43 PM

    haha, hi evan! really nice to hear from you :)  is evan your full name? mine's evangeline so its evan for short!

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  18. Sarah W5:32 PM

    Mmm, canelés. :) I miss living near a bakery that sells these.
    I had no idea you could bake these in silicone.

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  19. Rachel T2:34 AM

    Hey there great job on your canales im so impressed! I have this recent craze about canales its so hard to find them in singapore! ive tried the ones at canale (the bakery/restaurant) and i was a tad disappointed. i wanna try making them on my own but havent been able to find the right mould. if you would be so kind to share where you found yours..

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  20. bossacafez3:13 AM

    <span>you can try either phoon huat or sia huat at chinatown. i actually heard canele patisserie's caneles are pretty good. if you think those were disappointing then maybe you'll be disappointed with the ones made using silicon molds coz they won't hv the crispy exteriors.
     
    btw its canele not canale :) </span>

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  21. Ardna9:13 PM

    yum! I  love eating this but never hv the guts to bake them. lol.  urs look beautiful!

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