![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.withaglass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/cannelespp.png\" "\\"cannelespp\\"")
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Today I have a big honour to guest post at the wonderful Ping’s Pickings<\/a>\u00a0blog. Ping is one of my dearest blogging friends and one of the rare people who always make me laugh with her hilarious style and unique sense of humour. Thanks to Ping’s\u00a0wide-ranging culinary interests, her posts are always surprising and often result in an amazing discovery, such as the excellent\u00a0Coconut Pie<\/a>, which under the name of Coconut Cake<\/a>\u00a0has become a staple in my house or the incredible\u00a0Rum and Carrot Cocktail<\/a>\u00a0I have written about in my previous post.\u00a0Since Ping is particularly fond of unusual patterns and originally shaped pastry (I still get hypnotised looking at\u00a0these spirals<\/a>), I have decided to write about cannel\u00e9s de Bordeaux, hoping their cute shape brings a smile to Ping’s face.<\/p>\n Cannel\u00e9s (or canel\u00e9s) de Bordeaux are one of my favourite sweet treats and it would be difficult to say which aspect I appreciate the most. Their taste, aroma, texture and even the beautiful shape are all irresistible. I still remember the first time I tasted them. I loved their rich flavours and was totally blown away by their extraordinary,\u00a0springy softness. As their name suggests, cannel\u00e9s come from Bordeaux in France, but they are very popular all around the country and also become famous abroad (I have recently seen a Japanised version on Shizuoka Gourmet<\/a> blog). Different sources quote different origins, but all agree that the characteristic shape, as well as the obligatory vanilla and rum presence are quite recent and date back to the beginning of the XXth century.<\/p>\n Cannel\u00e9s are not really difficult, but they require patience, close attention during the long baking process, they do not accept shortcuts and every modification is a big risk.\u00a0French websites, forums and blogs are full of cannel\u00e9 recipes and related tips, but I must admit that I had to go through several failed experiments before I found a method that works with my oven and my silicone moulds. From my experience a big amount of rum as well as 24 hours refrigeration are necessary to obtain the optimum taste and texture. Apparently old-fashioned copper moulds guarantee the best results, but they are not easy to use and I am perfectly happy with the cannel\u00e9s I obtain with very convenient silicone moulds.\u00a0I have adapted my recipe from the one featured on\u00a0Marmiton<\/a>.<\/p>\n