The cannelé is one of my favourite pastries, second only to a double-baked almond croissant. It’s a small caramelized cylinder flavoured with rum and vanilla bean, hailing from the Bordeaux region of France.

One of my goals is to successfully bake a batch of cannelés, but doing so is no small feat. Achieving that perfectly caramelized crust and soft rum-infused custard center takes skill, practice and multiple takes. And patience.

So thankfully, I’ve found a few bakeries that are well-versed in the cannelé.

In Vancouver, my favourite cannelés can be found at French Made Baking, both at their little bakery on Kingsway or at the Trout Lake farmer’s market in the summer. After a walk around the little lake, Stella and I would always pick up a box at the farmer’s market, along with a wood-fired margherita pizza or a beer-brined chicken sandwich, depending on which food truck happened to be there.

In Toronto, I’ve found some really good ones at Roselle on King Street East. They’re only available after 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and after 1pm on Sundays. My brisk walk over in -12 degree weather was well worth it.