Canelé

Ingredients

In a small pot, combine milk A, butter, vanilla, and sugar. Bring to a boil to infuse (infuser). Remove from heat as soon as sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil.
Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 1 hour to develop flavor.
Strain the infused milk through a sieve, pressing the vanilla pod firmly to extract the oils.
In a separate bowl, combine cold milk B and cream. Add rum, egg yolks, salt, and whole egg in order, mixing gently. Avoid creating air bubbles.
Combine the egg mixture with the infused milk.
Sift in the flour. Start by adding a small amount of liquid to the center of the flour, mixing outward, then gradually incorporate the rest until smooth.
Refrigerate the batter overnight (24 hours). Coat canelé molds with beeswax.
Strain the rested batter through a sieve, pressing with a ladle. If lumps remain, blend briefly until smooth.
Preheat oven to 480°F. Pour batter into molds to about 1cm from the top.
Bake at 480°F for 10 minutes to form the caramelized shell. Without opening the oven, drop temperature to 375°F and continue baking for 45-50 minutes.
Unmold immediately onto a cooling rack upside down. Cool for 2 hours. Eat the same day.

Resting the infused milk and the overnight batter rest are both critical for flavor and texture.
Fleur de sel is a coarse French sea salt — regular fine sea salt works as a substitute.
Type 45 flour is French low-protein flour; cake flour is the closest substitute.
The high initial temperature creates the caramelized shell and prevents mushrooming. If your oven only goes to 480°F, use convection for the first 10 minutes.
Fill molds to about 1cm from the top — overfilling causes “white butt” (pale, undercooked bottoms) because the batter can’t sink back down.
Canelés are best eaten the day they’re baked.