French · Dessert
Caneles
Mahogany-shelled, custard-hearted — the batter needs 24–48 h of rest and the moulds need beeswax; there are no shortcuts to a true canelé
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- Whole milk — 500 ml
- Unsalted butter — 25 g
- Vanilla pod — 1
- Plain flour — 100 g
- Caster sugar — 200 g
- Fine salt — 2 g
- Egg yolks — 3 (60 g)
- Whole egg — 1 (55 g)
- Dark rum — 50 ml
- Beeswax + butter (50/50, for moulds) — 60 g
Method
- Bring milk, butter and split vanilla to 84 °C; cool to 60 °C.
- Whisk flour, sugar and salt; add yolks and egg; pour on the warm milk gradually, whisking to a thin, lump-free batter (like crêpe batter).
- Stir in rum. Rest 24–48 h in the fridge — non-negotiable; it relaxes gluten and deepens flavour.
- Melt the beeswax-butter; swirl inside copper (or heavy steel) canelé moulds; invert to drain to a whisper-thin film. Chill the moulds.
- Stir the batter gently (do not re-aerate); fill moulds to 1 cm below the rim.
- Bake at 230 °C for 12 min, then 180 °C for 40–45 min, until near-black mahogany.
- Unmould HOT with a confident rap; cool on a rack 1 h — the crust sets to glass.