Cannelés are tricky little cakes.

They’re a funny shape, for a start, so you probably need to invest in a special mould – either individual copper ones, which are very aesthetically-pleasing, or a silicone mould for a dozen normal-sized cannelés or twenty five mini cannelés.

The batter needs to rest in the fridge for 24 hours so you have to anticipate a cannelé craving. On the upside, the batter keeps for 3 days so you can do all the faffing around when you have time and then just fill the moulds and pop in the oven when you want them.

They really need to be eaten on the day you make them. The recipe book I found these in actually said, in French, (literally translated) that they would be ‘of no interest’ the following day. Which is pretty cut and dried. I can confirm that the mini ones do go very hard over night.

Why are we bothering, again?

I thought I didn’t like cannelés until a week ago. My French mother-in-law had bought me a mini cannelé kit for my birthday a couple of years ago (complete with silicon mould and dedicated cannelé recipe book) and they have been untouched ever since. Then she bought me a couple of copper cannelé moulds for Christmas this year. I thought maybe she was trying to tell me something and decided I should at least try making them once.

So I did last week, and they were A-MAZ-ING. Worth every last fiddly bit.

It might have been that I made mini ones, so the proportion of crispy, chewy exterior to soft gooey inside seemed just right. It could have been that I deliberately chose a booze-free version (the rum content in the traditional recipe might explain why I didn’t like ones I’ve tried in the past). It might have been that the caramel in them made the edges caramelise properly without tasting burnt.

In any case, if you like cannelés already, then I hope you enjoy this variation and if you think you don’t like cannelés, there’s a good chance this recipe will win you over.

Caramelised salted caramel mini cannelés

Translated and slightly adapted from ‘Salidou’ cannelés in ‘Tout Petits Cannelés & Financiers’

Ingredients

• 250ml whole milk
• 10g butter
• 100g salted butter caramel
• 1 vanilla pod or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g plain flour
• 70g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk

Method

Heat the milk and butter to boiling point in a saucepan, with the vanilla pod, sliced in half lengthways (if using).

Pass the liquid through a sieve to catch the vanilla pod and any bits of milk that have solidified.

Add the caramel (and vanilla extract if you are using this rather than a vanilla pod) and use a whisk to incorporate. Set aside to cool.

Combine the sugar and flour in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg and yolk. Whisk together briskly, then add the cooled caramel milk, still whisking, until you have a smooth batter. Pour it into a bottle and store in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

The next day (or the one after that, or the one after that), heat your oven to 210°C. Shake the bottle of batter and tip it into the moulds, leaving a gap of about 1/2cm at the top, for them to puff up. Cook for 40-45 mins until a very dark golden colour (or they won’t be cooked in the middle). Unmould them whilst they are still warm and leave to cool before eating.