MARRONS GLACÉS I

MARRONS GLACÉS

Photo Journal of Adventure in Making MARRONS GLACÉS

Crystallized/Glazed Chestnut

1. Purchase Chestnuts in Premium Condition. Wash and Boil until Done.

2. Keep Boiled Chestnuts in Warm water Until All Peelings are Finished.   Remove as much veins as possible without breaking chestnuts apart.

3.  Cooked chestnuts is soft and semi-translucent.  When crushed between fingers, leaves somewhat powderly texture.

 4. Pots to prepare Sugar Syrup with Rum or liqueur.   A Shallow Baking Pan for Syrup Bath.   Another Shallow Baking Pan with Cooling Rack to Dry Marrons Glacés on.

5. Carefully transfer peel chestnuts into baking pan and pour prepared Syrup to cover the chestnuts.   Soak Chestnuts overnight.

6. Day 2 -- Carefully transfer each well soaked Chestnut onto Cooling Rack to start Drying Process.

7. Day 3 -- Carefully transfer each Dried Chestnut back to bathe in Syrup for several hours.
8. Day 3 -- Transfer each Chestnut to Cooling Rack to Dry

9.  Once the Marrons Glacés are Dried, they are ready to eat or packaged individually and stored in air tight container.
10. Save crumbled bits and pieces of Chestnuts and Syrup in a tight covered jar.  Serve it over Ice Cream or any Favorite Dessert Dishes and explore its possible use. Enjoy!

Summary:  On my next adventure in this Marrons Glacés II making, the preparation methods resulted in better looking Marrons Glacés.  Of course, the practices make it perfect, too.  The finishing texture is much desirable than this preparation method when the cooked and peeled chestnuts were heated through in the prepared syrup as prescribed.

So, hope you will check the other Marrons Glacés journal and find out for yourself.

Wondering how the commercial Marrons Glacés looks like? Here is the Link: http://www.clementfaugier.fr/fr/v4/v4_accueil.aspx

Links to Recipe:

http://www.epicureantable.com/recipes/C/chestglace.htm

http://www.greenchronicle.com/recipes/marrons_glace.htm

Here is an interesting recipe you might want to try: http://www.harmonysweets.com/harmonysweets/croissant-chocolate-marrons-glace.jsp


For recipe with better result, please check out my other blog on Marrons Glaces Part Deux at http://rockdavinci.blogspot.com/2010/01/maron-glace-part-deaux.html

Where to buy Canneles Baking Molds

I came across quite a few web forum asking where to buy the Canneles baking molds.     The molds are sold at limited number of places in US, I think. However, depending on how you spell the word "Canneles", the result group in web search engine differs.     By the way, there are Copper tin-lined mold, aluminum, non-stick aluminum, Copper and inox steel lined, gastroflex mold, and elastomold.     When you do an entry phrase in any of the web SEARCH ENGINE, you need to type: Canneles de Bordeaux molds or Caneles molds or Canneles copper tin mold.     The mold is sold individually and priced anywhere from $6 to $25, depending on who you are buying from.
Some of the sites are: **Some sites may have changed. Some might have discontinued.
Tip: Go to their Main Home Page and Do Search.
Interested in testing with Aluminum Cannele Molds?     Great affordable price at $4.99 ea.      How good is the mold?     I am not sure, yet.  I am waiting for my shipment (Purchased 12/29/2009 just now) from http://www.fantes.com/stacks.html



MYCHEFSFAVORITES thus far has the affordable copper tin-lined Canneles molds. 
http://www.mychefsfavorites.com/baking/cannele-and-charlotte/cannele--copper--tin-lined.html


http://culinary-direct.com/store/index.cfm?displayMode=catalog&action=search&viewmode=search&searchType=items&searchTerm=CANNELE

Other favorite sites are:
http://www.fantes.com/stacks.html
or
http://www.meilleurduchef.com/cgi/mdc/l/fr/boutique/produits/moule_cannele/index.html
The reason being that they do have promotional sales.
I am waiting for next group of Canneles molds to arrive to test my batch 9 and 10. Someone asked me whether I can use Low Fat Milk, etc.     Only a test will tell. However, I think in French cooking, the real butter and "whole" of something is the key to their wonderful rich taste.

So far, I have seen Canneles mold (moule in French) being sold individually.      I was very lucky to have acquired a set of 15 from France over e-Bay. It was a lucky buy.
I am interested in buying Copper Cannele Molds lined with inox steel, but I have not found anyone selling it.

Photo Journal of Canneles de Polly

Canneles de Bordeaux adventure continues - After 14th batch baking test of Canneles recipes and baking time, I finally found the right combination of sugar and temperature that produced wonderfully crunchy outer shell and custardy center.   There is a recipe that produces bread like texture of center of the Canneles, but after 14th batch of test baking two different recipes, I like the custardy center the best.


Here is the Photo Journal of Canneles Preparation Process - batch 15 - 20th:


Scald 3 Cups of whole milk and 1 TBSP of Vanilla Paste (or 1 Vanilla Bean).      Stir frequently to keep the milk from burning at the bottom and keep "the skin" from forming at the top.     When it reaches 180F. Turn off the heat and Add 3 TBSP of unsalted Butter.     Let it cool to lukewarm.     Make sure the milk mixture is cool to the touch.
Beat 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolks with 1-3/4 Cups of "Baker's Sugar."     It should become Lemony color.     All recipes called for "whisking" the egg, then add 3 TBSP of Dark RUM, but after 14th batch of testing, I find beating the eggs and Baker's Sugar brought a better result - the result is browning of outer shell -- "caramelizing".     Still need one more testing of just "whisk" together ingredients the same way the recipe called for.
 Get 2/3 Cup of Cake Flour ready.





Add egg mixture to the flour. Gently fold eggs into the flour.     It will look lumpy.


Make sure the milk mixture is cool to the touch.
Next, Add milk mixture to the flour mixture. Whisk to mix gently.


Strain the mixture.

Refrigerate for minimum of 12 hours. I've tested with 6 hours with my new recipe combination and it turned out satisfactory.     However, I noticed the difference in batter's aroma, it lacks the sweet mature aroma of rum and sugar when it is refrigerated less than 12 hours.
When ready to bake, bring it out to room temperature for minimum of 1 hour.

Coat each Canneles molds with unsalted melted butter or "beeswax and butter".
Tip**Leave the molds in the refrigerator for a few minute.   Although this image shows copper tin-coated canneles molds, I have acquired Non-Stick Aluminum canneles molds as well, and have successfully baked the Canneles in them.

 Preheat oven to 180C or 365F -- Electric Convection Oven brought the best results in testing last 5 batches.     Nice even brown and within a reasonable time.     Baking Canneles in Conventional GE Gas Oven/Stove worked out well, but the results have been a bit unpredictable.     But I am sure it is more than the temperature that played a role producing perfect Canneles, such as thickness of the baking pan that molds were sitting on, how many molds were on it, which height level the baking pan were set in... all these seemed to have tampered the result of the Canneles.


Use 1/3 Measuring Cup to scoop batter mixture into molds.
**Do not fill up the mold.

 Stir batter mixture often to make sure that flour mixtures are evenly distributed before scooping into molds.
Line up the molds on a baking pan with rim to catch butter spill during baking.
*I've used melted 100% pure beeswax and butter as the traditional recipe calls for.     I find the unsalted butter working just as well and giving the shell the "shine".     However, without beeswax mixed with butter coating Canneles Molds, Canneles tend to get stuck during demolding.    
Tip:  You can order 100% Pure Beeswax with no chemical additives at Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies, http://midtowngrid.com/sacbeekeeping/sacbeekeeping.shtml.     
* Never use Candle Wax from your ordinary candle.


This batch is baked in the conventional gas oven.    Make sure not to crowd the molds on the pan.    As you can see, the batter starts to puff up above the rim.

Baking period seems to be the most critical part of the Canneles baking.
Baking for 1 hr 30 min in gas oven still did not brown the Canneles -- the recipe from Foodnetwork's "Canneles de Bordeaux." Additional 15 to 20 min were required for pan of 15 canneles molds to become beautiful brown.

Towards the end of baking period, I took one out of mold to check the status of shell caramelization. Reverse the mold and tap it gently and Cannele should slide down. If it is still pale, I baked it longer; however, I noticed that the longer you bake, the tougher the center. Which is true with any custard or working with eggs. So, again, here the counter-top electric convection oven I bought brought the best timing in baking and in texture and taste.

These are the ones done in gas oven---after close to two hours of baking.

This batch is baked in my new counter-top electric convection oven.     Molds are non-stick aluminum coated with melted butter or" beeswax and butter" mixture.     After batch 14, I dared myself to come up with my own recipe mix.     This is Pumpkin Buttermilk Canneles de Polly.     I decided to honor my new convection oven with this recipe.
Tips:  Do not buy and use non-stick Cannele molds.  The fume from the teflon burning at 450'F is a killer. 

The result of Pumpkin Buttermilk Canneles de Polly is surprisingly delicious.     The recipe measurements were done after deduction of study of recipe of Canneles from www.MeilleurChef.com and Foodnetwork's "Canneles de Bordeaux" recipe and Gale Gand's recipe and of course, after 14th batch baking tests.



















This is the recipe of Foodnetwork's Canneles de Bordeaux that I baked in Batch 18, except I modified the way I mix and amount of sugar. As I mentioned above, I beat the eggs and sugar together till lemony rather than just "whisk" eggs and add rum. & increased the sugar from 1 Cup to 1-3/4 Cup. I think 1-2/3 Cup will do just well -- I will test that on the next batch.



















I hope this will add some flavor and encouragement to your adventure in Canneles baking. They are just YUMMMY!!