Canelés de Bordeaux

Description

A bit of History:

Its name comes from Gascon, a language spoken in Bordeaux until the 20th century, “Canelat” with a single “n”, spelling preserved until today. It was the nuns of the Annonciades convent, located behind the church of Ste Eulalie, who made them. They collected wheat from the harbor that had fallen from the holds of boats or from gutted bags, as well as egg yolks from the wine cellars of the Quai des Chartrons, the whites being used to fin the wine.

Bordeaux was a large commercial port where it was easy to obtain rum and vanilla from the islands. The nuns added these ingredients to their recipe to add more flavor. These little treats were then distributed to the poor or sold for their profit. In 1790 they were expelled from their convent. No more Canelats! Luckily the recipe was taken over.

The people of Bordeaux made the Canelés on the docks, the mold resting on embers. The tradition continued. Nevertheless, the Canelé fashion had indeed been swept away in the revolutionary turmoil, and the small pastry shop only lasted on a few bourgeois tables in Bordeaux. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that the recipe was taken in hand and improved by professionals. The Canelé then finds its place in the good Bordeaux pastries to become an emblem of the city.