Canelés de Bordeaux

Name: Canelés de Bordeaux
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 12 canelé
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 cup white sugar; 4 egg yolks; ¼ cup rum; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups whole milk; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 tablespoons beeswax

Rating: 4.83 stars

18 Ratings
11 Reviews
13 Photos

These crispy French custard cakes are traditionally baked in special fluted molds, but the molds were no longer available in my local shop. So I improvised with muffin tins and the results were pretty amazing. Just be sure you bake them long enough to achieve the classic crispy exterior.

By Chef John

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Recipe Summary

prep:

15 mins

cook:

1 hr

additional:

5 mins

total:

1 hr 20 mins

Servings:

Yield:

12 canelé

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1

Place flour, sugar, egg yolks, rum, vanilla extract, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix and smear into a smooth paste using a spatula. Continue mixing until flour is fully incorporated.

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Step 2

Place butter and pour milk into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. As soon as milk mixture comes to a simmer, remove from heat. Slowly add half the milk to the flour mixture to prevent the egg yolks from cooking. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Slowly pour in the rest of the milk mixture; whisk until batter is smooth. Batter will be thin.
Step 3

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Step 4

Melt 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter and beeswax in a skillet over medium heat. Stir with a pastry brush. Remove from heat. Brush the bottom and the sides of each muffin cup generously with the butter/beeswax mixture.
Step 5

Ladle batter into muffin cups until mixture is almost to the top. Place pan in preheated oven. Bake 10 minutes.
Step 6

Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake until canelés are very well browned, about 50 minutes.
Step 7

Allow to cool just 5 minutes. Run a thin blade around the sides and carefully remove canelés from cups. Invert onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely to room temperature to create the crispy surface.

Chef's Notes:

If using fine salt instead of kosher, use 1/8 teaspoon instead of 1/4 teaspoon.

Greasing the muffin tins with beeswax/butter is essential to achieve the classic texture and crispy exterior. Use only pure food-grade beeswax without any additives.

These stay crispy for only about 8 hours. So, fair warning if you plan to make them a day ahead. I've never tried to re-crisp them.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

193 calories; protein 3.3g; carbohydrates 26.7g; fat 7g; cholesterol 83.4mg; sodium 73.1mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (11)

Most helpful positive review

Stephen Boyar

10/29/2017

I had been reading from french pastry chef's websites how difficult these are to make, and how they will take so many tries to get correctly. I followed this recipe and Chef John made the process very easy, and demonstrated it eloquently and effectively. This is by far the best recipe to follow for your first Caneles. Read More

Helpful

(12)

18 Ratings

5 star values: 15
4 star values: 3
3 star values: 0
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Stephen Boyar

10/28/2017

Helpful

(12)

SpycGyrl

10/27/2017

These are delicious, I'm eating one now! I bought food grade beeswax just for this occasion, which I will be using again for these. I had some great Puerto Rican rum that was a gift to use in these Caneles. The only thing I would do differently is bake for 5 minutes or so at the 450 degrees. I had two pans of these (one was the fluted muffin type pan) and one regular muffin pan that made it into the oven about 5 minutes after the first pan and they turned out perfect. The others were a little too browned after 40 minutes. It may have been the differences in the pans since the fluted pan is a bit darker. In both pans the Caneles have a nice custard in the center. ( I had to eat one from each pan to be sure;) Thanks for a new treat to make, Chef John! Read More

Helpful

(11)

Marks3040

05/24/2018

This recipe taste just like the Caneles I ate at a French bakery in Paris! I baked mine in a Canele mold - no beeswax required! Read More

Helpful

(5)

Anonymous

01/20/2018

Delicious! Follow the recipe exactly! Whole Foods carries the right kind of beeswax! Read More

Helpful

(3)

David Pratt

02/14/2018

This was one of the most surprising discoveries yet! However using a muffin tin they popped out as they cooked so they were sitting up in the air and to upper edges burned. Even with that charred piece the flavor was amazing! I promptly ordered a proper Canele mold and can't wait to make more. Read More

Helpful

(2)

JanTC

08/23/2018

Made half the recipe. Used popover tin instead of muffin tin. Will make half the recipe again using a muffin tin as suggested by Chef John. I was overly generous with greasing the tin with the beeswax/butter mixture, which resulted in a soft bottom which was okay, but not as crispy as it should have been. The sides were nice and crispy. Made it again (same day) using a muffin tin instead of the popover tin. Made them with a friend to demonstrate how easy they are to make. We were very happy with the result using the muffin tin. Version 3: bought a fluted muffin tin, still making half the recipe, and am very happy with the presentation. Note: it seems that beeswax has a higher melting point than butter, hence the need to melt them together on top of the stove. (Microwave does not work as the butter starts to spit while the little beads of wax are still solid). Read More

Helpful

(2)

DerekSD

05/13/2018

I have made these a few times now and they come out great every time. Be careful not to use too much butter-wax grease on the tin, or you will get a weird wax texture in the end. If your tin is cold when you brush on the grease, it is easy to put on too much. Try leaving the pan in the pre-heating oven for a minute to warm up, and then inspect the brushed on wax after the pan cools before adding the batter. Reapply if necessary. Even if you put on a lot, or they get a little charred, they're still delicious. Read More

Helpful

(2)

Gram ma

11/25/2017

Followed Chef John's easy instructions and loved the results. Thanks for making me look like a professional! Read More

Helpful

(2)

Kiyana Salkeld

11/15/2017

I didn't make any changes Read More

Helpful

(1)

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Canelés de Bordeaux

Servings Per Recipe: 12
Calories: 192.8

% Daily Value *

protein: 7 %

carbohydrates: 9 %

dietary fiber: 1 %

sugars:

fat: 11 %

saturated fat: 20 %

cholesterol: 28 %

vitamin a iu: 5 %

niacin equivalents: 12 %

folate: 7 %

calcium: 6 %

iron: 4 %

magnesium: 2 %

potassium: 2 %

sodium: 3 %

thiamin: 11 %

calories from fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.