Seattle - February 24, 2009

Let Them Eat Canelé

Honore Bakery’s Canelé

Sweet cherry pie makes a grown man cry. 

But it’s hard to beat a delicacy that helps women bear celibacy.

Hallelujah for the centuries-old canelé (cah-ne-lei) from Bordeaux. Legend has it that the petite cake originated in a French convent during the 16th century, but you need travel only to artisan bakery Honoré in Ballard to get your mitts on one.

Baker Franz Gilbertson’s copper mold process, which caramelizes with beeswax and butter, creates a delicate crust that surrounds the cake’s moist center of vanilla bean, orange zest, and rum custard.

Order the cakes in bulk for your next morning office meeting or a friendly brunch. The French also consume canelés as dessert, and the treat pairs as well with syrupy wine as coffee.

Watch: You’ll make it a habit. 

Available at Honoré Bakery, 1413 Northwest 70th Street (206-706-4035).