CANNELE

CANNELE image

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 10

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Ingredients

1 vanilla bean
2 cups whole milk;
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced;
3/4 cup cake flour;
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine or baker's sugar (if you can't find it, simply pulse regular sugar in a food processor before starting)
4 extra-large egg yolks
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla
Oil for brushing molds (Place 1 ounce round of bee's wax in a 1 pint glass measuring cup; melt in a microwave. While still warm, gradually stir in enough safflower oil to make a whitened mixture, light enough to coat the back of a spoon). Cool to room temperature; store in the glass container at room temperature. To coat pre-seasoned cannelé molds with "white oil": use dabs of warmed oil to coat the interior and shake out excess.)

Steps:

1. Rinse a saucepan with cold water. Add milk and set over low heat. Split vanilla bean and add to milk. Heat to 183 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer, about 8 to 10 minutes. 2. Place the butter, cake flour and salt in a food processor: pulse until combined. Scatter the sugar on top: pulse until mixed. 3. Add the egg yolks; pulse until the mixture begins to tighten-the dough will resemble thick, golden paste. 4. Remove vanilla bean and scrape vanilla seeds into milk before discarding. With the food processor on, quickly and steadily pour the hot milk into the mixture in the food processor. Pulse until combined. Strain batter through a very fine sieve into a clean container, pressing any congealed yolk through. Stir in the rum, add vanilla and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate 24 to 48 hours. 5. If using copper or tin molds: About 6 hours before serving, lightly brush the interior of each cannelé mold with "white oil." Set crown side up on paper towels to avoid the pooling of oil in crevices. Place the molds in the freezer before baking 6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chilled molds on baking sheet. Stir the batter and then fill mold almost to the top. Place on lower oven rack. Bake until the cannelés are deep, deep brown in color, about two hours. (If using convection, which I highly recommend, bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour and fifteen minutes). Remove from oven. 7. If using copper or tin molds: One by one, use an oven mitt to grasp each hot mold, rap against a hard surface to loosen the cake, and tip out onto cooling rack. If they resist unmolding, bake 5 to 10 minutes longer and, if necessary, use a toothpick to loosen. Let cool to remove temperature before serving.