A classic French recipe, consisting typically of milk, sugar, eggs, butter and flour. I haven’t been able to find Caneles in Australia or France (and trust me I’ve searched) since I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease. I have fond memories of enjoying these with my Mum when I was younger when we went to our local market (a non gluten free version). So I wanted to recreate something that was equally as good, and I think this recipe hits the spot. You will need to purchase a special Canele pan (I purchased mine online via ebay), and it’s important you let the batter rest for 24 hours. But if you can stand the wait, you will definitely enjoy the end result.
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tbs unsalted butter, chilled and diced
- 3/4 cup plain gluten free flour
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tbs caster sugar (fine)
- 4 extra large egg yolks
- 1 tbs dark rum (optional also add 1tbs Grand Marnier if you want another kick!)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- White oil or melted butter for brushing moulds* (if silicone not necessary)
Instructions
- Rinse a saucepan with cold water. Add milk and place on the stove over low heat. Split vanilla bean and add whole to milk. Heat to 84 degrees Celsius on a candy thermometer (takes about 8-10 minutes).
- Meanwhile place the butter, gluten free flour and salt in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Scatter the sugar on top and pulse until mixed.
- Add the egg yolk, pulse until the mixture begins to tighten. The dough should resemble a thick, golden paste.
- Remove vanilla bean from milk, and scrape out vanilla seeds into the milk before discarding. With the food processor on, quickly and steadily pour in the hot milk. Continue to pulse until combined.
- Remove batter and strain it through a fine sieve into a clean container. Make sure to press any congealed yolk through. Stir in the rum and vanilla extract and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate 24 to 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Put canele moulds in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. Brush moulds with melted butter. Turn upside down onto paper towel to let the excess drain. Place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before filling with batter.
- Remove the batter from the fridge and stir briefly to incorporate any liquids. Fill each mould to just below the top and place in the oven on the lowest rack. Bake for 30 minutes for smaller moulds, or 45 minutes for larger moulds or until they are deep brown in colour.
- Remove caneles from the moulds when still hot by banging them upside down and let cool on a wire rack. Don’t let them cool in the moulds, as it will prevent them from getting crispy and they may get stuck. If they will not come out of moulds, place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes and if necessary use a toothpick to loosen. Enjoy!
*Most canele recipes use white oil to coat their moulds. This is edible beeswax and provides a lovely sheen. I didn’t have the time to source this, so used butter instead and it worked perfectly. If you want tips for white oil the internet has heaps of tips and tricks.
Based on recipes by Paula Wolfort and Bruno Albouze.
