My son has just returned from Biarritz where he has been working for the past 8 months. Naturally his French has improved enormously, but also staying in a flat by himself, cooking ‘ for one’ he has now become quite adept at cooking. Having also had the luxury of the most wonderful patisseries right on his doorstep, he has now developed a taste for ‘something sweet’ to go with his ‘petit cafe’. His favourite delicacy is the cannelés de Bordeaux. These delicious little treats are bite size French pastries which have a caramelised crunchy crust encasing a soft custardy centre with a perfect balance of sweet/salty taste. They are quite addictive!
Now back home my son has been yearning for these cannelé which are not so readily available here in the UK. Lucky for him, when a Belgium friend of mine rocked up with some for his 21st birthday party. They were totally delicious and were gobbled up in no time. She has been kind enough to pass on her recipe for these gorgeous French fancies. They are incredibly simple to make but you do need to invest in the special cannelé moulds which are essential. Usually cannelé moulds are available in two sizes:one bite size or two bites, depending on your preference!
