You won't have to travel all the way to Bordeaux to enjoy this crispy, chewy treat
Is it spelt “canelé” or “cannelé” ? This question alone sparks major debates in Bordeaux, the city where this famous little gâteau made its debut.
During the 17th century, a time of booming colonial trade, Bordeaux became the busiest port of France. Ships from the French West Indies would flood into the port, filled with coveted spices, coffee, cocoa, vanilla, rum and sugar.
Legend has it that the nuns of a local convent would salvage leftover flour, rum, vanilla and sugar from open gunny sacks and leftover wooden crates found lying around the port. Egg yolks were taken from wine cellars where egg whites were used to clarify wine. These leftover ingredients would then be made into little rum-spiked cakes that were handed out to the poor and the homeless by the nuns themselves.
Today, however, things are a little different. canelés are found all over the world, made with the finest ingredients. With that, we've rounded up five bakeries that serve these delicious treats for you to enjoy with a cup of your afternoon tea.
See also: The Ultimate Guide To Buying Bread And Baked Goods During Quarantine
1. Burrow
The aesthetically pleasing café Burrow opened its doors on the first day of MCO 2.0 and has been a smashing success ever since. While they pride themselves on being the first "Canelé Café" in the Klang Valley, they also showcase other cakes and treats on their menu, mostly made by home bakers and single moms. It is not easy to get your hands on their canelé, which are sold out almost every day. Aside from the OG Canelé that is an absolute crowd favourite, try their Espresso Canelé and Maple Pecan Canelé aged with Maple Syrup and Madagascan Vanilla Bean.