December 20, 2015 - 6:19am
Cannelé in San Francisco
I am in SF visiting family, and they've never eaten cannelé. Nor have I, except for the ones I've made myself. I'd like to know how a proper cannelé tastes. Where can I buy them in San Francisco ?
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I don't know if they are 'proper' by traditional French definitions, but Boulette's Larder (@ the Ferry Building) and B on the Go (Calif & Divis) have canele. I believe both bakeries make them in limited quantities daily. Crisp and caramelized on the outside and creamy and custardy on the inside. Yum!
I didn't get to try cannelé. It rained all the time I was there, so nobody was much inclined to go on a field trip to get something that wasn't Chinese.
Fortunately, I came across a new (to me) Chinese dish: Pineapple buns. It is a slightly sweet roll that is wildly popular in Hong Kong.
Now, "pineapple buns" do not contain any pineapple. The name comes from the resemblance of its crackled topping to the skin of a pineapple. The buns are tasty by themselves, but if you want to go over the top, they'll warm the bun, split it, and insert a slab of chilled, salted butter: http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/35/46/62/7761057/13/920x920.jpg'
The buttery combination of salt and sweet, flaky topping and fluffy bread was unbelievable! I am now on a hunt for an authentic recipe, which uses lard, custard powder, and baking ammonia.
Janet