With only a handful of pastry chefs in New Zealand making them, you’d be forgiven for not knowing what canelé are.
These classically French confections originate from Bordeaux and are notoriously difficult to do well, with super time-consuming preparation, the need of specialty copper moulds and plenty of trial and error to perfect the recipe and process. In short - there’s a lot of fuss involved for something that is easily devoured in just 2 bites!
The perfect canelé requires a crisp exterior, nicely caramelised with good crunch - while the centre must be tender and pillowy, with a honeycomb-like structure.
Flavours need to be perfectly balanced. Canelé are gently sweet and custardy with a hint of rum, finished with notes of slight bitterness of the caramelised sugar in the crust.
Originally from Reims, France, Corentin Esquenet is the face behind Butter - pastry chef and maker of arguably the best canelé you’ll find in New Zealand.
Butter came about after Corentin discovered a gap in the market for ‘something to celebrate with that wasn’t cake’.
Corentin’s menu includes a collection of tarts and petit fours, with a focus on showcasing the season’s flavours and ingredients. Order can be placed online, or if you’re up early enough - you can pop down to his kitchen window from 10.30am on a Saturday morning and treat yourself to something sweet (including his famous canelé).
In collaboration with Butter, we’ve captured the essence of the traditional French pastry, canelé - with our new Limited Edition candle. Perfectly balanced with flavours of creamy baked custard, vanilla bean and spiced rum, caramelised sugar and just a touch of golden honeycomb.
