Recipe below - or follow along with the full video:    • Let's Bake Delicious Cannelés! | Spri...  
Hailing from the Bordeaux region of France, these little cakes are truly special. The batter is quite simple, very much like a sweeter crepe batter with vanilla and rum, but the magic happens as the cannelés bake. The cakes develop a deep brown caramelized crust and an airy yet custard-like interior. Cannelés are traditionally made in a special pan with 12 distinctively shaped cups or in individual fluted copper molds that are no more than 2 inches (5 cm) tall. The copper molds are beautiful but costly, so I recommend the non-stick metal cannelé pan for best results.

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• Recipe •

Makes 8 little cakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Cannelés are best enjoyed the day they are baked, but they can be stored, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to a day. Rewarm the cannelés in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 minutes to bring back the crisp crust.

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• Ingredients •

1 cup (250 mL) 2% milk
1 Tbsp (15 mL) vanilla bean paste or seeds from 1 vanilla bean
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, plus extra for brushing the pan
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp (15 mL) amber or spiced rum
½ cup (75 g) all-purpose flour

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• Directions •

1. Infuse the milk with vanilla.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla bean paste or seeds over medium-low heat, whisking often, for 15 minutes. If the milk has reduced in volume, top it up to 1 cup (250 mL) again.

2. Mix the batter.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the sugar and butter until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk and rum, followed by the flour. Strain the batter through a fine-mesh sieve and chill for 12 to 24 hours.

NOTE: Gently whisking the batter before and after chilling is the key to cannelés that bake well. If overmixed, the cakes can develop a “mushroom top” (the batter pushes up and out of the pan and spreads so the crown is wider than the base) or a “white butt” (the partially baked cannelés push away from the bottom of the pan and the base stays a pale white while the rest browns).

3. Prepare to bake the cannelés.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Chill the cannelé pan for 10 minutes, then generously brush the inside of each mold with butter and freeze the pan for 10 minutes.

NOTE: Out of respect for the original method, I tested this recipe in classic copper fluted cannelé molds basted with butter and beeswax to help give the cannelés a shiny crust. A non-stick metal pan gave more consistent results. I don’t recommend a silicone pan (which didn’t brown the cannelés enough). A cannelé pan also bakes pretty muffins or individual pound cakes.

4. Portion the batter.
Give the batter a gentle whisk to recombine it (it will have separated during chilling) and pour into the pan, dividing it evenly between the holes.

5. Bake the cakes.
Bake for 10 minutes at 450°F (230°C), then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and cook for another 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops are a deep, dark brown.

NOTE: The long baking time is essential to get the dark brown, crispy exterior. Don’t worry—the centre will still be soft and moist.

6. Cool the pan, and enjoy the results!
Allow the pan to cool for 10 minutes, then tip the cakes out onto a rack to cool completely.