A few weeks ago, I shared my experience with Baillardran, a chain a shops in France that specialize in mass-produced canelés de Bordeaux. Since then, I’ve gotten many emails asking for the recipe that came with the copper cannelé molds I bought that day. I hunted all over the internet to find a copy of the recipe to link to, but it was nowhere to be found. After a quick call to one of the Baillardran shops, I was told that they didn’t have a problem with me posting the recipe – so, here it is in all of its glory.
Note: I have not used or tested this recipe at all. The reason I’m posting it here is for posterity’s sake. One day I may make this particular recipe, and if I do, I’ll update this post. But until then, I want to say a few things before you dive in:
- Again, I have not tested this recipe. So, your mileage may vary.
- Traditionally, cannelés are made in copper canelé molds, and if you are using said copper molds, the seasoning process is very important. Others use silicon molds, yielding decent results. I have personally never used the silicon molds, so I can’t comment on them one way or the other. Edit: reader Barbara Qualley emailed me this video of a pastry chef using a silicon mold to make cannelés. Enjoy!
- To get the perfect canelé, you need to use a combination of butter and beeswax to grease the molds, regardless of what type of mold you use. This recipe doesn’t call for beeswax, so again, YMMV.
- The flour and sugar measurements in this recipe are by weight. Suck it up and get a scale. If you need more convincing, read this.
- Some of the directions weren’t very clear when translated directly into English, so I took my cannelé baking knowledge and added a little more info here and there where necessary.
- The cooking time here says 1 hour at 425°F (the original recipe calls for 220°C). Other recipes recommend varying your oven temperature for best results.
- When eating the Baillardran canelés from the shop, I found that the rum flavor was a little overpowering for my taste. If you prefer a less rummy canelé, you might try cutting the amount of rum down to 3 tablespoons and adding another 2 tablespoons of milk to make up for the wet ingredient deficit.
- If you do make this recipe, please leave a comment and let me know how it goes!
Also, here are the seasoning instructions that came with the Baillardran cannelé molds:
Before first use you have to cure (season) the canelé molds. Preheat your oven has 390°F (200°C). Grease molds with butter and bake for 1 hour. Take them out of the oven and lightly re-grease them. After each use, wipe clean with a soft rag and lightly re-grease. Do not wash with soap.’
Baillardran Cannelé Recipe (Canelé de Bordeaux)
Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 whole vanilla bean
- 250 grams sugar
- 125 grams flour
- 6 large eggs
- 3 1/2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup rum
Instructions
The first day:
- Slice the vanilla bean pod down the middle, length-wise, to split it into two long halves still joined at one end. Use a butter knife to scrape out all the tiny little beans from inside each half.
- Add the milk, the tiny vanilla beans, and the split vanilla pod to a small pot. Give it a good stir. Heat to just below a boil. (Not bubbling!) Remove from heat and steep the vanilla bean for 30 minutes. Discard the split vanilla pod and skim off any skin that formed on the milk.
- Stir sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Combine milk and eggs, whisking to mix well. Pour milk and eggs into sugar and flour, stirring just until combined. Do not overmix.
- With an electric mixer or hand beater, combine butter and rum, mixing until somewhat emulsified . Gently stir the rum and butter into cannelé batter, making sure to not over-mix (which will cause your cannelés to be too airy).
- Place batter in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
The second day:
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Gently stir the cold batter, making sure to not over-mix.
- Grease the molds with butter, wipe away excess fat, and place the molds on a plate. Pour batter into molds, leaving about 1/2-inch of space from the top. Slide the individual canelé molds into the oven and cook for about 1 hour, or until the tops are very brown (not burnt!).
- Unmold the cannelés while they are still warm and allow to cool before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.