canelés

Sabine

canelés-13

From the culinary treasury of the Bordeaux come these golden gems: les canelés. Quite unremarkable from the outside, the legendary confections are filled with Bordelais tradition, culture and history. Even if the circumstances of their creation remain somewhat mysterious, the story of the canelés most likely starts in the 18th century and might go something like this:

Once upon a time, there was a convent residing within the Bordeaux wine country called les Dames des Annonciades. Each year during wine making season, while the red wine was ripening in the dark cellars of the châteaux, les Dames would receive an unusual gift: The château owners would bring them egg yolks, left over from the collage, a traditional vinification step requiring egg whites to filter and clarify the wine. Searching for ways to use up the precious yolks, the holy sisters were inspired by a cake called Canole, a specialty from Limoges made of egg yolks and flour and very popular in Bordeaux at the time. Adding vanilla bean and rum, exotic ingredients arriving at the port of Bordeaux, les Dames conjured up the incomparable canelés: loaded with warmth and flavor, with an uniquely thick caramelized crust and a soft, almost custardy core. History in the shape of a recipe. Croustillant et molleux, each bite is pure pleasure. Praised be the alchemy of cooking!

canelés16-5PS: Since the recipe is enough for several batches, I like to bake a few darker, crispier ones, and a few softer ones – so there´s the perfect canelé for everyone. Just a few more or less minutes in the oven will do.

Canelés:
500 ml milk
180 g sugar
120 g flour
3 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
60 ml rum
25 g butter

Heat milk with scraped seeds from the vanilla bean and the butter, bring to boil. Take away from the heat and leave to cool for 10-15 minutes. Gradually sift in the flour and add the sugar, whisking constantly, avoiding lumps. Now add the yolks one at a time, whisking. Finally, add the rum. The batter should be relatively thin, similar to a creamy soup or a pancake batter.

Leave to cool at room temperature and keep in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

The next day, pour batter into canelés moulds – they should be filled to about 3/4.
Bake until dark, crisp and golden (200°C 55-65 minutes, depending on size and desired intensity of caramelization). I used small and medium sized silicone moulds.

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Canelés

canelés-3

Diese kleinen Köstlichkeiten stammen aus aus der kulinarischen Schatzkammer des Bordeaux: die Canelés. Herkunft und Vergangenheit dieser auf den ersten Blick vielleicht unscheinbaren, aber legendären Küchlein sind nicht ganz ergründet, und doch verraten die wesentlichen Zutaten –Eigelb, Rum und Vanille – ein wenig über Esskultur und Weinbau-Tradition der Bordelaiser Gegend im 18. Jahrhunderts.

Einem dortigen Kloster, les Dames des Annonciades, wurde jedes Jahr, während der Rotwein in den düsteren Kellern der Châteaux gärte, ein ungewöhnliches Geschenk gemacht: Die Gutsbesitzer brachten Eigelbe, übrig geblieben bei der collage, einem traditionellen Schritt der Weinherstellung, bei dem der Wein mit Hilfe von Eiweiß filtriert und geklärt wird. Zur Verarbeitung der kostbaren Dotter ließen sich die Schwestern wohl von einem Gebäck aus Limoges, dem Canole, inspirieren, das aus Eigelb und Mehl bestand und zur damaligen Zeit in Bordeaux sehr beliebt war. Vanille und Rum waren dank des Bordelaiser Hafens verfügbar, wo viele exotische Zutaten an Land gebracht wurden. Damit gelangen der Klosterküche die wundervollen Canelés mit unvergleichlich knackig-karamellisierter Kruste und weichem, luftigem Kern. Molleux et croustillant zugleich sein, das ist das Geheimnis eines perfekten Canelé. Gepriesen sei die Alchemie des Backens!

canelés17 PS: Das Rezept reicht aus für mehrere „Fuhren“, deswegen backe ich am liebsten ein paar dunklere, knackigere, und ein paar hellere, weiche Canelés – damit für jeden Geschmack eins dabei ist!

Canelés:
500 ml Milch
180 g Zucker
120 g Mehl
3 Eigelb
ausgekratzte Samen einerVanilleschote
60 ml Rum
25 g Butter

Milch mit Inhalt der Vanilleschote und Butter einmal aufkochen, dann 10-15 Minuten beiseite stellen. Nach und nach unter ständigem Rühren mit dem Schneebesen Mehl einsieben und Zucker hinzufügen. Eigelb eines nach dem anderen grndlich unterrühren. Zuletzt den Rum zugeben. Der Teig sollte eine Konsistenz ähnlich einem Pfannkuchenteig oder einer cremigen Suppe aufweisen.

Bei Zimmertemperatur abkühlen lassen und 24 h im Kühlschrank aufbewahren.

Caneléförmchen zu etwa ¾ mit dem Teig befüllen, dann bei 200°C in etwa 55-65 min – je nach Förmchengröße und gewünschtem Karamelisierungsgrad – backen. Ich benutze Silikonförmchen.

52 Comments

  1. Sabine, your canelés look fabulous, absolutely stunning. I love canelés so much. Did you use copper moulds or do you have as I have some silicone ones? I wonder if they turn out this good in my rubbery mould (as you might have guessed, so far, I’ve been rather buying than making them). Nicole

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  4. These look absolutely delicious. I wish I had more confidence on my abilities as a pastry (I don’t even dare to call myself a chef) er maker? Wondering whether I can find these to buy in NYC. Thank you for sweeten my day. Cheers

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    1. THank you so much! I ´d never dare to call myself a chef either, but really, this recipe is easy. I bet you can fnd the moulds in NYC quite easily. I used silicone ones, they work great. I wish you would try and see what exquisite little treats these areeally love them…!

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  5. OMG they look amazing! I’ve been dying to give these a go for ages, but stull haven’t picked up the courage to give them a try. Fortnum&Mason’s has a huge range of them with different fillings … mmmmmmh …
    Yours look absolutely stunning!

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    1. I never knew they came filled! WHat nice surprise, here they´re eaten plain. I´d say, give them a go, it´s really not much work (aside from the waiting “work” until the next day)!

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  6. Your canelés look better than any that I’ve ever bought. I love their richness and sweet caramel flavour but never thought of making them. I imagine it won’t be easy (if at all possible) to buy those moulds here. Whenever I had a surplus of egg yolks , like when I’ve made a batch of meringues, I use the egg yolks to make a golden sponge.

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    1. Hello Mary, it´s very easy to make canelés, really. The hardest part for me is to prepare the batter and then have to wait until the next day, until its set and ready to be baked!

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  7. Lieben Dank! Schon wieder hast Du mich mit auf eine Reise genommen :). Diesmal ist das alte Bordeaux vor meinem inneren Auge lebendig geworden. So schön, könnte Deine Geschichten über die wundervolle Alchemie des Backens ewig weiterlesen… 🙂

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  8. Sabine do you know of Bebinca? It’s a Goan dessert created by an industrious nun (Bibiona) to make use of the leftover yolk after the eggs were used to bleach the spotless white habits. Do take a look it looks so much like candles 🙂

    Shruthi
    http://nyambura.co

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    1. I hope you tried the good ones! Some I´ve bought were really chewy, not firm and caramelized at all…. But once you´ve made them yourself, you´ll see how delicious they are straight from the oven – the sooner eaten, the better!

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  11. Toll jetzt hab ich Lust drauf und bin küchentechnisch leider eher unterbegabt (frag mich nicht, was ich dann auf nem Foodblog will, aber ich mag deinen echt gerne)
    Bitte einen Direct-Order-Button im Blog installieren 😉

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    1. Hallo und vielen Dank für diese Worte am (nicht ganz so) frühen Morgen! Ich würde Dich sehr gerne beliefern, aber im Ernst, diese Happen sind nicht schwierig zu machen! Und hier gibt’s die Förmchen: dhttp://www.amazon.de/Mastrad-F43514-Backform-für-Mini-Cannelés/dp/B0091GJZTQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1445586563&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=canelé+form
      Wünsche Dir einen schönen Tag! Sabine

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  12. These caneles must be the most beautiful I have seen yet! That gradient of colour on the caramelised crust is just gorgeous. I think I may need to invest in a canele tin ASAP! The history of the canele is so interesting too, thank you for writing about it – I am always intrigued by how different foods came to be.
    Claudia x

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    1. MAny thanks, Claudia! A canelés mould is definitely well worth the money. I have silicone ones by mastrad, they work great, so not necessary to go for the expensive but oh so beautiful ones made of copper….

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  16. I love caneles. I like making them as a lovely dessert in the winter. I have the silicon molds rather than the beautiful copper ones they used in the old days of your story. They work pretty well. I, like you, like them a little darker. You’re making me crave them now! Beautiful post and lovely dessert. xo

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    1. Thank you! The copper moulds are SO beautiful, aren´t they! But like you, I use silicone ones. So much cheaper and more practical (I hope that´s the right term in English)…

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