The caramelized crust paired with the soft custard center makes this a one-of-a-kind pastry

By DEBORAH MISIK for the FLATHEAD BEACON

Canelé is one of my favorite French pastries. The caramelized crust paired with the soft custard center makes this a one-of-a-kind pastry. A canelé is a small, striated cylinder up to five centimeters in height with a depression at the top, flavored with rum and vanilla with a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust. You will need to use a canelé mold, they are traditionally made with copper molds but the cyclone type is a good substitute. I use the cyclone type. Traditional recipes use beeswax to coat the canelé mold. The beeswax adds flavor as well as a waxy coating on the outside. These pastries will be a hit with breakfast, coffee, tea time or for an after-dinner sweet. The batter can be made and held up to 72 hours. For best use, a minimum of 48 hours is recommended.

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 cups (587 gr.) whole milk

• 1 3⁄4 oz. (50 gr.) unsalted butter

• 1 cup (220 gr.) sugar

• 2⁄3 cup (100 gr.) all-purpose flour

• 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt

• 2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks

• 1⁄4 cup dark rum

• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved

• Beeswax or vegetable shortening to brush on molds

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and butter until the butter is melted and the mixture comes up to a gentle simmer. Add the scraped vanilla bean and its seeds, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, add the sugar, flour and salt; stir with a fork to combine. Add the eggs and yolks and use a whisk or a blender to combine.

Remove the vanilla bean pod from the cooled milk mixture and set it aside. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, then use a rubber spatula to gently combine (smooth out as many lumps as possible). Add the rum and return the vanilla bean pod to the batter, cover, and refrigerate for at least two and up to three days, giving the mixture a gentle stir once daily.

Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees for at least one hour before you begin baking. Place a sheet of 12 silicone canelé baking molds on a very flat baking sheet and coat the inside of the molds lightly with nonstick baking spray.

Retrieve the batter from the fridge and stir gently with a rubber spatula to redistribute any flour and vanilla seeds that have settled at the bottom. Remove the vanilla pods and discard. Pour ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons (71 grams) of batter into each canelé mold.

Transfer to the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 425 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for one hour and 50 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the canelés cool in their molds for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a cooling rack. For the best texture, let cool completely (45-60 minutes) before serving and consume within one day.

Chef Deborah Misik is the Instructional Coordinator of Baking and Pastry at The Culinary Institute of Montana at Flathead Valley Community College. She is a Certified Executive Pastry Chef and a Certified Culinary Educator through the American Culinary Federation. For more information about the Culinary Institute of Montana at FVCC, visit www.culinaryinstituteofmt.com.