Picture of the Day: Canele

Caneles are the Mt Everest of pastry baking

Caneles. They are a small slightly sweet treat made from vanilla, rum, egg, flour, butter and sugar. They are mixed together, then the batter is left to rest for a few days in the refrigerator for the flour to fully absorb the ingredients before it is poured into small, round copper molds and baked.

The end result is a deep brown colour on the outside, and a knife should be able to make a pretty clean cut, revealing a bubble interior that is almost like custard, slightly soft, yellow and have a hint of alcohol.

Apparently making caneles is not easy -- one food blogger gave the analogy that if making panettone is the Mt Everest of baking, then making caneles is the Mt Everest of pastry baking.

The word canele means "fluted", and this pastry dates back to sometime between the 15th and 18th centuries in Bordeaux, France. Back then winemakers used egg whites to clarify their wine, and the leftover egg yolks giving to nuns to feed impoverished children, while other yolks were used to make caneles.

About a month ago, a new bakery opened in Vancouver called Tona and the caneles there are impressive.

The exterior is slightly crunchy thanks to the caramelised, slightly sweet exterior, while the inside is a fantastic contrast that is not pillowy soft, but rather a moist softness with hints of vanilla and rum, making the taste and texture so complex and beguiling.

While they're a bit expensive at C$4.50 each at Tona, a lot of skill and technique is involved in making these, and the caneles here are irresistible!