These delightful little pastries seem so simple! There is no filling, no topping, no glaze. However, they manage to have a deliciously chewy and crispy outside with a creamy center. How do you achieve that without a filling? Cannelés are Nico’s favorite treat so I spent a solid few weeks and 3-4 gallons of milk trying to perfect these for him last year. The trick to making these work is using the finest (both in quality and grind) pastry flour, the ridiculously watery dough which you should refrigerate for at least 12 hours before using, and perfectly buttered and floured molds. You can keep the dough in the fridge for a few days, but only make as many pastries as you plan to eat in one day, as they are best served day of.

The true trick, however, is using copper tin lined molds and with a thin lining of beeswax. I have finally upgraded to copper cannelés molds after daydreaming about them for a solid year! They are quite an investment at at least $15 each. The most affordable I have found were $50 for 4 molds on Amazon! It was quite an investment to get 12 molds, but after using them just one time, I have absolutely no regrets! My cannelés turned out amazing!

Scroll to the bottom of this recipe for instructions on seasoning your copper cannelés molds!

If you are using rubber molds, check out my original Cannelés Bordelais recipe!

Cannelés Bordelais

for the cannelés:
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (360 mL) + 2 tablespoons whole milk
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
2 cups (240 g) confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tablespooons rum
1 cup less 2 tablespoons super fine cake flour

for the molds:
1 ounce (30 g) beeswax
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

the day before:

1. Pour all milk into saucepan, add vanilla and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Melt butter and allow to cool.
3. Sift flour and sugar into separate bowls to ensure consistency.
4. Gently whisk/mix eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together. I read that the less mixing you do, the less likely your cannelés will ride up the sides of your molds.
5. Mix into the egg mixture in the following order: rum, melted butter, flour, vanilla milk.
6. Refrigerate batter for at least 12 hours. I make mine a day or two before. This batch makes 20-22 cannelés and the 10 I make on the second day always turn out better!

to prepare the molds:

1. Warm the molds in the oven  until it reaches about 150°F (65°C).
2. Melt butter and wax together in a microwave or a small pot.
3. Place a cooling rack with parchment or aluminum foil under it on a counter.
4. Carefully pour hot wax mixture into the molds, cover all sides and pour back into the pot.
5. Invert the mold and place it on the cooling rack to drip out.
6. If the molds or wax starts to cool, reheat a bit to prevent the wax from being too thick.
7. Throw the prepared molds in the freezer for 15 minutes.

baking the cannelés:

1. Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C) with a metal cookie sheet in the oven.
2. Fill the molds just before baking.
3. Fill the molds up to 1/3 – 1/4 inch below the rim.
4. Open the oven and remove the cookie sheet. Carefully arrange the molds on top. I bake 12 at a time since I only have 12 molds.
5. Lower the heat to 450°F (230°C)  as you put the molds in (I preheat with the convection fan on at 450°F (230°C) to get it a little hotter and then turn it off when I put the molds in.
6. Bake for 15 minutes to create that beautiful crust!
7. Lower the heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 45-55 minutes (depending on the size of your mold).
8. After 15 minutes or so, the pastries might start riding up the sides of your molds. With the copper molds, all you have to do is take the pan out of the oven and let them sink back in for a minute or two before putting them back in the oven. Make sure you account for this.
9. The pastries are done when the tops are dark brown and the crusts are golden with a pliable inside.
10. I like to invert one and check it and then slip it back in the mold if it needs a bit more time.
    

    They are ready when they are a deep brown on the outside.

    

    Deliciously crunchy and chewy at the same time!
11. If you notice that the sides are golden but the tops are white, remove the molds from the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F (230°C) for another 10 minutes.
12. Remove from the molds immediately and cool on a cooling rack until the crusts harden. Eat the same day!

Total cooking time: 2 hours + 12 hours rest

Preparing your new cannelés molds!
Cover the molds in oil with a paper towel and place on a cookie sheet in the oven. Bake for an hour at 350°F (180°C). Invert the molds and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool in the oven.

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