Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup/50 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
- ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp/100 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2½ cups/250 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup rum
How to Make It
- Combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan with the vanilla pod and seeds. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then remove from the heat and let cool.
- Combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs and egg yolks together.
- When the milk has cooled, remove the vanilla pod and set aside. Pour the warm milk and eggs into the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Gently stir together until smooth (there may be a few lumps at this stage).
- Strain the batter through a sieve into a clean bowl, pressing through until you have a smooth batter. Add the rum and stir until combined, then add the reserved vanilla pod. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 days, or up to 5 days this will allow the flavors to infuse and will relax the gluten, resulting in a tender, less chewy canelé. Give the batter a stir every so often.
- When you are ready to cook the canelé, preheat the oven to 475˚F. Heat the silicone molds in the oven for a couple of minutes, then, using a small ladle, fill each hole four-fifths full with the batter.
- Cook for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375˚F and cook for another hour. Remove the canelé from the molds and leave to cool on a wire rack. As they cool, the outside will develop a good crisp crust. Serve once cool to the touch. (Canelés turn spongy after 5 hours. To refresh, heat in a 450˚F oven for 5 minutes. Cool until the crust hardens, then serve.)
