As with most classic French pastries, the canele is a food with a varied and diverse history depending on what you read, and like most great recipes and dishes from France, they have not changed for generations – the authentic, original recipes being guarded under lock and key.

The name canelé comes from the French word for “fluted.” According to cookbooks, the cannele Bordelaise could date back to anywhere between the 15th and 18th centuries, and most of the history books concur that the pastry originated in various convents around the winemaking regions of Bordeaux in Southern France. Winemakers used egg whites to clarify wine and would give the excess egg yolks to nuns to make food for poor children. With the addition of a few other ingredients, the canelé was born. 

Like with most great pastry items, the canele recipe is relatively simple, with the technique and execution being key. Egg yolks, flour, butter, salt and milk are mixed together in a very specific order and left overnight so the flour can absorb the milk and hydrate before baking. The ratio of these ingredients is very similar to that of a basic crepe, but with a totally different execution — the results couldn’t be further apart. As Bordeaux is a port, this recipe natural evolved into having rum and vanilla added to it, key components adding distinct flavor profiles.