Canelé

Acanelé(French:[kan.le]) is a small Frenchpastryflavored withrumandvanillawith a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thickcaramelizedcrust. It takes the shape of a small,striatedcylinder up to five centimeters in height with a depression at the top. A specialty of the region aroundBordeauxin southwestern France, today it is widely available inpâtisseriesin France and abroad.
The canelé is believed to originate from theCouvent des Annonciades, Bordeaux in either the 15th or the 18th century.(Though the article about this samepastryin the French WikipediaCanelésays "Différentes théories tentent de construire une histoire plus ancienne mais manquent totalement de fondement." "Different theories attempt to construct a more ancient history but lack any foundation whatever.") The modern word "canelé" originates inGascon, which was spoken in Bordeaux and a large area of southwestern France until the 19th century.
InLimoges, there was a food calledcanole, a bread made with flour andegg yolks, which may be the same item as that sold in Bordeaux since the 18th century under the name ofcanaule, also writtencanauléorcanaulet. Artisans known ascanaulierswho specialized in baking them registered a Corporation (orguild) with the Parliament of Bordeaux in 1663, which allowed only them to produce several specific foods:Blessed bread,canaules, andRetortillons. Since they were not a part of the Pastry Corporation (Guild), which had a monopoly over baking with milk and sugar ormixtionnéedough, they were prohibited from using those ingredients. Thecanauliersdisputed the Pastry Chefs' privileges and on 3 March 1755 the council of State inVersaillesruled for  thecanauliersand ended the Pastry Chefs' monopoly. An edict of 1767 limited the number of authorizedcanauliershops in a city to eight. It created very strict requirements for joining the profession. Nevertheless, in 1785 there were at least 39canauliershops in Bordeaux, at least ten of which were in the district (faubourg) ofSaint-Seurin. TheFrench Revolutionabolished all the Corporations, but later census rolls continue to show shops of Canauliers and bakers of "blessed bread".
In the first quarter of the 20th century the canelé reappeared, even if it is difficult to date exactly when. An unknown pastry chef re-popularised the antique recipe ofcanauliers. He added rum and vanilla to his dough. It is likely that its current shape comes from the similarity (in French) of the word wave with the word "cannelure" (fluting, corrugation, striations).
The modern name "canelé" is of recent origin. TheGuide Gourmand de la Francedoes not mention it. Only in 1985, after the pastry's popularity had begun to explode, was the Brotherhood of the Canelé of Bordeaux (Confrérie du Canelé de Bordeaux)created and the second "n" of its name removed. The namecanelébecame a collective brand,registered with theNational Institute of Industrial Property of Franceby the Brotherhood. Ten years after the registration of the brand, there were at least 800 manufacturers inAquitaineand 600 in theGironde. In 1992, Gironde alone consumed an estimated 4.5 million canelés.
Thecaneléis traditionally baked in a small cylindrical fluted moldwhich has been brushed with beeswax. Other coatings, such as a combination of beeswax and butter, came into use as the price of beeswax increased.Produced in numerous sizes, they can be consumed for breakfast, for snacks, and as a dessert depending in some measure on size.Caneléscan be paired with red wineand many other beverages.
Traditionally, "canelés" or "cannelés of Bordeaux"are generally sold in bunches of 8 or 16. In Paris, most of the famous shops such asLaduréeandPierre Herméstill spell it as "cannelé of Bordeaux" with double 'n'.