Canelé

Yay, Black Star is open! Otherwise that would’ve made for two failed visits…

Peering around the backs of other customers to see the selection.

Not a great selection. Quite a small range, really. Perhaps late in the afternoon was not a good time to come… Well, tough, I’m here now.

Nothing really looks enticing. I love moist desserts and these all look quite dry. Of course, I also haven’t drunk anything the entire day and it is now 3pm so that’s not really their fault but still…

Okay, okay, my partner in pastry purchasing has happily selected a vegan apple tart, come on, just pick something…

I point to the bell-shaped mystery item. “What’s a canelé?”

Huh? The server has a quiet voice, I think she said something about pudding and rum. Sure, it sounds interesting and also is cheaper than a lot of the other options…

Carting my canelé off in a paper bag. Why is the sky filled with smoke? Will check the news later.

Really I feel like an iced chai but that’s at the other end of Newtown and it’s really time to go catch a train. Sooooo thirsty but sooooo against waste I cannot buy bottled water… Hmm, sneak into the Bank Hotel for some free tap water? Yes.

Much better. Ooops, missed the train. Well, the fifteen minute wait can be filled by eating!

Hmm, it weighs next to nothing. It seems to have been cooked in a tiny Bundt tin, grooves down the sides, but no hole in the centre. Small enough to stand in my palm, short enough to be held between my thumb and index finger. Good size since I’m not that hungry.

No real smell. The deep brown outside is hard, kind of bubbled like it’s burnt or been set alight. A pattern of tiny black dots on top, perhaps vanilla seeds.

Bite.

The outside is chewy with a bit of crunch. It’s all stuck in my teeth. It tastes caramelised, a bit like toffee.

Inside is a pale yellow moist dough. It’s kind of like if you turned custard into cake. Yes, it tastes like eggy custard.

I don’t taste much rum. The outside is nicer than the inside, with its caramelised flavours. The custardy stuff is just a bit bland for me. But nice that it was moist after all!

Perhaps it would be better reheated rather than eaten cold.

Well, Black Star, I will give you another go but only because I’ve heard such good things from other people. Perhaps a mid-morning visit next time.

Rating:

Specifics: Canelé bought from Black Star, Newtown