Historical recipe: classic canelés

Heat the milk in a pan until it just reaches the boil, then remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and rum.

If you have a food processor, add the butter, flour and salt and pulse until it resembles small breadcrumbs. (If you don’t have a food processor, rub those ingredients together by hand.) Add the sugar and egg yolks to that mixture and pulse, or stir with a fork, until they are properly mixed in. Turn the processor on to a low speed, or gently stir, and begin adding the hot milk in a slow stream. Mix until the batter is just combined.

Strain through a sieve into a clean bowl, cover with cling film (which should touch the batter), and refrigerate for 24–48 hours.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 190°C. Place the moulds on a baking tray and put them in the oven to warm through for five minutes. Melt the beeswax and butter in a small pan and paint it carefully on to the inside of the moulds. A silicone brush might be useful.

Turn the moulds upside down above a wire rack placed over baking paper to let any excess drip out. If your kitchen is cold, the beeswax will set nearly instantly; if not, put the moulds in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Remove the moulds from the freezer, and pour the batter into the waxed canelé moulds, filling them about three-quarters full. If you have more batter than you do moulds, you can return it to the fridge for later use.

Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. (Silicone moulds need slightly longer than copper ones, so take those out nearer the 75-minute mark.) The bottoms of the canelés should be a rich brown; they won’t be firm at this point, but you should be able to press them gently with a finger.

Allow the canelés to cool for five minutes, then turn the moulds over on to a wire rack (be careful – the silicone will be hot). The canelés will come out, but may need a bit of patience. They will firm up as they cool.