Tag: french pastry

Baking/

Foolproof Canelés Bordelais

A stack of canelés Bordelais in white and blue plates

Every time I see a canelé I have a canelé. So when I was in France last summer I had a canelé or two. And then I saw the canelé molds in the supermarché. And promptly forgot about how hard everyone says they are to make. More so in silicone molds.

A close-up of a stack of canelés Bordelais

So here I was, back from France, with a silicone canelé mold and a panic attack. But I had laid my bed, so now I had to lay in it (and give myself an excuse to finally get a sugar thermometer).

An overhead shot of a stack of canelés Bordelais surrounded by the ingredients to make them

Kitchn to the rescue

I was terrified to make these, but because I was scared I finally didn’t fuck up a bake! I followed the recipe from Kitchn to a tee, and that’s been my saving grace with these delicious assholes ever since.

Keep in mind that this is a process of days, not hours.

A stack of canelés Bordelais in white and blue plates

Sorry, silicone only

To retain my sanity I will only be sharing the recipe for silicone mold canelés here. Refer to the Kitchn for the copper mold versions, which seem like a lot more of a nuisance and are also a lot more pricey.

A close-up of a stack of canelés Bordelais

Fool proof canelés Bordelais from a silicone mold

Dorothy Porker
These French custardy rum and vanilla classics are a handful and require a lot of equipment and time, but they're totally worth the effort.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs
Resting time 2 d
Course Birthdays, Dessert, Party snack
Cuisine French
Servings 12 (ish) canelés

Equipment

  • Silicone canelé mold - usually holds 6 to 8 canelés
  • Pastry brush
  • Freezer
  • Saucepan
  • Candy thermometer
  • Food processor
  • Fine sieve
  • Container with lid
  • Oven
  • Measuring cup, optional

Ingredients
  

  • canola oil for brushing the molds, do NOT substitute
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 2 c - 500 ml whole milk
  • 2 T - 30 gr butter chilled and diced
  • 3/4 c - 150 gr cake flour OR
  • 1 c - 125 gr all purpose flour AND
  • 1 T - 15 gr corn flour see instructions
  • pinch salt skip if using salted butter
  • 3/4 c+2 T - 180 gr superfine or baker's sugar if you can't find this, run your sugar through the food processor before using
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 T - 15 ml dark rum
  • 1 t - 5 ml vanilla extract

Instructions
 

How to make your own cake flour

  • If you cannot find cake flour mix 1 c - 125 gr of plain flour with 1 T - 15 gr of corn flour. Note you will have some extra cake flour leftover after making the canelés.

One or two days ahead of schedule: prep the molds and batter

  • Brush your silicone molds with canola oil and place them in the freezer. This helps with the crunchy outer layer of the canelés.
  • Rinse a heavy-bottomed saucepan with cold water, set over a low heat and add 2 c - 500 ml of milk. Split 1 vanilla pod and add to the milk. Heat slowly to a 83° C/ 183° F on a candy thermometer.
  • While the milk is slowly heating, place 2 T - 30 gr of chilled and diced butter, 3/4 c - 150 gr of cake flour and a pinch of salt in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Scatter 3/4c +2 T - 180 gr of sugar on top and pulse again until mixed.
  • Add 4 egg yolks and pulse again until the mixture begins to tighten and sort of resemble a dough.
  • Once the milk has reached 83° C/ 183° F, remove the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the milk. Discard the pod.
  • With the food processor on pulse, quickly and steadily pour the hot milk into the mixture in the food processor and pulse until fully combined. Don’t be alarmed: it will look like a very thin custard or pancake batter.
  • Strain the batter through a fine sieve into a clean container, pressing any congealed yolk through. Throw out whatever remnants you can't press through the sieve.
  • Stir in 1 T - 15 ml of rum and 1 t - 5 ml of vanilla extract and leave to cool uncovered until it has reached room temperature.
  • Cover and refrigerate 24-48 hours. This is necessary for the development of the gluten. The more patience you have with this the better the results.

Baking day!

  • Preheat your oven to 400° F/ 200° C.
  • Stir the batter, move to a measuring cup for an easier pour and fill the chilled molds halfway.
  • Place on the lowest oven rack and bake until the cannelés are a deep brown color, this can take anywhere between 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.
  • Remove from oven and leave to cool inside the molds for at least 15-30 minutes so they retain their shape.
  • If you have any leftover batter, leave the oven on, give the molds a quick brush with additional canola oil and bake the remainder of the batter.

Notes

Supposedly they are best eaten between 1 and 5 hours after baking. Personally I find 1 to 2 hours to be the max.
You can freeze them for roughly 3 months and reheat them in the oven at 400° F/ 200° C for 5 minutes, but nothing really beats a barely cooled fresh canelé from the oven.
Keyword caneles, custard, french, french pastry, pastry, pattiserie, rum

Zoek je dit recept in het Nederlands? Ga naar VetteSletten.nl voor canelés bordelais uit een siliconen bakvorm.

Baking/

Star Anise Spiced Madeleines

A pile of madeleines, surrounded by the key ingredients

Ever since I first had warm Madelines at St. John’s Bread and Wine I have loved these little cakes. So when we were in France this summer I finally got a Madeleine-tin to make my own.

I’ve made what is supposedly the St. John’s recipe before, but not knowing which honey to use, they haven’t turned out to expectations. Even if everyone else was happy to eat them.

Update: I have since asked what honey they use at St. John’s and was told it’s Rowse honey. I initially mistook this for rose honey, which doesn’t appear to exist. Unfortunately you can only get Rowse honey in the UK and I am still not sure which kind of Rowse honey they even use. A friend sent me a batch once but I wasn’t in a baking mood and ended up using it for other things. 

Funk up your Madelines

I have been intrigued by all the funky alternative Madelines I’ve seen floating around online. So I went looking for star anise Madelines because star anise is one of my favorite flavors. I found something close enough at The Spice House, but switched some of the spices out because I could.

A pile of madeleines, surrounded by the key ingredients

Ginger and star anise spiced Madelines

Dorothy Porker
Super airy and fluffy, mildly spicy and fresh Madelines for any day of the week. Madelines are best eaten fresh, so these are best made for an impromptu tea party or for dessert.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 24 mins
Course Birthdays, Dessert, Party snack, Sweets, Treat
Cuisine British, French, Fusion
Servings 24 Madelines

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Small saucepan or microwave and microwave proof bowl
  • Pastry brush
  • Madeline tin, a muffin tin sort of works but isn't ideal
  • Mixing bowls x 2
  • Mixer
  • Metal spoon - this is non-negotiable
  • Bowl covering
  • Wire rack

Ingredients
  

  • 2/3 c - 150 gr butter unsalted preferred
  • 1 1/2 c - 180 gr all purpose flour
  • 1 t - 5 gr baking powder
  • pinch ground star anise
  • 1 T - 15 gr ginger freshly grated, 1/4 tsp of ground ginger sort of works in a pinch
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 c - 150 gr fine sugar
  • pinch salt omit if using salted butter

Instructions
 

  • Preheat an oven to 175° C/ 350° F.
  • Melt 2/3 c - 150 gr of butter in a small saucepan over a low heat or in short bursts in a microwave. Take it off the heat before it starts to bubble. Lightly coat the Madeline-tin with a thin layer of the butter and dust with some flour before placing it in the fridge to set.
  • Now, in a bowl, sift 1 1/3 c - 180 gr of flour, 1 t - 5 gr of baking powder and a pinch of star anise together before adding 1 T - 15 gr of freshly grated ginger and zest of 1 lemon.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together 3 large eggs, 3/4 c - 150 gr of sugar and a pinch of salt for 5 minutes on medium-high, until the mixture has doubled in size and is light and fluffy.
  • Using a metal spoon (use this to avoid beating any air out of the batter) gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg and sugar mixture. Once the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated, slowly pour in the melted butter down the side of the bowl and gently fold that in as well.
  • Cover the bowl and let your dough set and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
  • I went a bit overboard with the dough myself, as you can see from the pictures, but gently scoop in about 1 T - 15 gr of dough into each Madeline-shape. Bake for 12 minutes. If you have dough left, be sure to keep it in the fridge as you bake, and be sure to cool, clean and re-butter and dust your tin before you go in for another round of baking.
  • Once done, tip out onto a wire rack to cool or ideally eat straight away while they're still warm and crisp.

Notes

Madelines are best kept in a closed tin for up to 3 days. As mentioned however, they are best fresh because they lose that crunchy outer layer as they age. 
Keyword american cakes, baking, cookies, easy bakes, french pastry, madelines

Zoek je dit recept in het Nederlands? Ga naar VetteSletten.nl voor gember, steranijs, citroen Madeleines.