I spent the 4th of July in Paris last summer. I’m not particularly patriotic, but the 4th has always been one of my favorite holidays. I have a rich history of celebrating our country’s independence in the suburbs while watching a parade (sometimes booing at the Republican Party float), playing bocce ball and eating some delicious grilled food. All of this happens at the family home of one of my very best friends who comes from NYC to celebrate. I hadn’t missed these festivities in years. When we booked our trip to France I hadn’t been thinking much about dates but as it approached I realized- we were going to miss the parade. Of course Paris is a nice consolation prize, but I was disappointed I would miss the yearly tradition.
Bryan and I ended up spending the 4th in Massy, a suburb of Paris, with some friends of Bryan’s family. They and their friends and neighbors very graciously hosted a 4th of July celebration in our honor complete with tortilla chips and mini hot dogs (apparently our culinary contribution to world cuisine). They even barbecued in a brick oven in the backyard. It was a pretty magical evening. We had wine debates (Bryan’s dad brought some bottles from California, which the french seemed skeptical of) we sampled some amazing liquor that the french grandfather had made using plums (at least that is what I think he was telling me) and we met some great people who were very forgiving of how terrible our french was. Later in the evening as we sat in the candlelit backyard with our new french friends, the grandmother of the family brought out a tray of canelés for dessert. I had never tried one before but I fell in love with my first bite. She explained that they are a specialty of Bordeaux, where she is from. These very small little cakes, shaped like tiny bundt cakes or medieval towers, have a very crunchy and dark exterior that gives way to a custardy filling flavored with rum and vanilla. They are pretty close to perfection. Once again I was astounded by how much better the french are at living.
Imagine my delight when I discovered a jar full of canelés at the farmers market the week after returning from Paris. My favorite Chicago bakery, Floriole, was making and selling their very own version of the french confection and they were fantastic. I felt lucky to have found a supplier and never again visited the market without eating a canelé but I wanted to try making them at home. I researched recipes online and was mostly discouraged, although Clotilde gave me some hope. Traditionally, canelés are baked in individual copper molds which are very expensive. Since I wasn’t ready to invest in copper molds, I bought a silicone tray. I knew it was going to be a major compromise but better silicone than nothing. It was worth a try.
It worked! Not flawlessly, but it worked. The batter tasted exactly right, it is a question of texture. After 3 hours of baking (the recipe called for 2) the insides of some of the canelés were still too wet. I know that is hard to believe, but it is true. I don’t know if this was a problem with my oven, the silicone molds or the recipe- but it didn’t stop me from eating them happily. I need to try these again, but I couldn’t wait to share my (relative) success and hope that you might like to try too. It seems like a delicious problem to pursue. The batter is ridiculously easy to put together and then it just sits in the fridge for a day or two before you bake them. If you are not up to making these yourself and you live in Chicago, call Floriole and ask them to prepare you some tout de suite.
In other news: Speaking of France, check out the NY Times video on the Bocuse d’Or, it is amazing especially all of the hats.
Canelés (adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup milk, the butter, and vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until butter has completely melted. Set aside to cool slightly; remove and discard bean.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, rum, and remaining cup of milk. Add the flour and salt; whisk to combine. Add the hot milk mixture to the egg-yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 day or up to 4 days.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the silicone mold on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove batter from refrigerator and whisk vigorously (batter may have seperated while chilling). Fill each mold to 1/8 inch from the top.
Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until caneles are dark brown, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When done, let cool for 10 minutes before removing from mold. Caneles should be served on the day they are made. Makes 8 regular canelés.
Georgia says:
January 29th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Yummmm! These look dilectable! Can’t wait to try them…in a silicone mold of course, as I don’t have the copper molds you referenced, and if they’re as expensive as you elude them to be I’ll try the silicone as you did! They look wonderful!
Hayley says:
January 29th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
These sound wonderful, and I love that crispy exterior!
The Duo Dishes says:
January 29th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Nice job! These are difficult to pull off. Having worked at a bakery in L.A. run by a Parisian woman, these were always available, and everytime someone tried it for the first time, they came back for more. They’re just amazing warm with coffee or ice cream!
Y says:
January 30th, 2009 at 3:14 am
Ooh they look yummy. I’ve never made this, but quite like eating them :D
rena says:
January 30th, 2009 at 7:36 am
They look divine! Trader Joe’s also makes these and they are delicious! They are in the frozen dessert section. Beautiful photos!
Raymond says:
January 30th, 2009 at 8:23 am
I love your blog and I love Caneles. Just thought that I would let you know that Nancy Silverton, my favorite pastry chef of all time, has a wonderful recipe for them in her book “Pastries from the La Brea Bakery” Keep up the great blogging
heather says:
January 30th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
le sigh. some day i will have a cannelle. preferably in hand is i walk down the champs-elysees, but i’d settle for homemade, too!
*heather*
http://squirrelbread.wordpress.com
cakebrain says:
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:12 am
Hey! I’ve made these too! I tried Helen’s recipe from Tartelette…but have yet to try the MS one. I’m glad you did. Yes, it does take a crazy long time to bake. I was quite surprised my baking time exceeded the published times too. But very yummy and have to make them again! Yours look perfect!
dani says:
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
They look absolutely delicious. Can you recommend the mold you purchased? (specific type/brand) And did you use a cookie sheet to support the silicone molds, since they are flimsy? I was reading the reviews of the molds they sell and someone mentioned that using the cookie sheet affects the baking process because it insulates from direct heat. . .
Tim says:
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I purchased a silicone mold at Sur la Table, I just looked and the one I have is no longer on their site (it is red). It was an 8 portion mold. I did place it on a baking sheet to cook. This was important because a surprising amount of butter splatters and spills out of the pan as it cooks. It would have been a real mess without the baking sheet. Also, it would be almost impossible to get the molds into the oven without spilling since the batter is so liquid. Maybe the pan does effect the way the molds heat up, as I mentioned I had to bake these for MUCH longer than called for in the recipe. Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
Amanda :} says:
February 6th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
since i despise silicone baking pans of an kind, do you think a popover pan would work? i know it wouldn’t be exactly the same but it’s got the right shape, right?…
Tim says:
February 6th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Amanda: Try it! They’ll be a little big, so I am guessing they might require even more cooking time. Word of warning: butter the hell out of that pan. These can be tough to remove from non-silicone molds. Let me know how it goes…
jfolkmann says:
February 6th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
These look delicious. I’ll have to give them a try…do you think one could make it with some sort of jam inside…apricot or peach?
Tim says:
February 6th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
They’re so perfect as is that I can’t recommend alterations. But more practically speaking, there wouldn’t be any way to get the filling inside. The batter is liquid. The baked caneles have such a solid crust that it would be impossible to pipe filling in after baking. But nothing will stop you from spreading some jam on top before eating.
jfolkmann says:
February 6th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I guess I’ll just have to settle for them as is ;)
Thanks for the recipe!
dave says:
February 21st, 2009 at 5:49 pm
hi great site!!!!!!!!!!!!
natalie legg says:
June 17th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
tim, im sure you’ve been to the bongo room in wicker park, but have you had their pancakes? The lemon, blueberry, ricotta pancakes are the best pancakes I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. Like they say – pancakes get old after the first few bites – NOT these! If you ever go there, get them, and then try and get the recipe!
Samantha says:
September 26th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
I am trying my hand at these tomorrow! I saw a video how to on another site that used melted butter & beeswax to coat the inside of the molds. She let the wax set back up, then poured in the batter. Have you heard of this?
Tim says:
September 27th, 2010 at 5:36 am
Yes, Samantha- that is the way to do it. But only if you have metal (copper) molds. I don’t, unfortunately, and use a silicon mold. So, mine never get as crispy and wonderful as they would with the method you are describing. But still good! Good luck!
Angel says:
March 16th, 2013 at 7:09 pm
I went to Floriole today based on your Chicago Guide link(and before reading this post) specifically to get caneles. They were delicious!