You know there is something special going on by just looking at a canalé. The crust is a rich mahogany and it shimmers a bit in the sunlight that pours through Village Baking Co.'s large windows. It's tacky but not sticky and clings to the paper it sits on. It's also $3 and not much bigger in volume than a golf ball.
Village Baking Co. sells these pastries in chocolate and traditional style. The later is laced with vanilla beans and rum flavors, and is ultimately superior. They bake them in copper molds lined with beeswax, which produces a crisp yet slightly chewy crust that encases a sweet and rich baked wonderland.
Village baking Co. uses a lot of egg whites in their recipes so they were looking for something to do with the yolks. A canalé recipe uses so many of them the results are almost more of a custard than a cake batter. The insides are extremely rich, kissed with a sweetness of rum and very moist. There's a bit of a cakey crumb to the texture, but it's also a lot like a custard. Paired with that amazing crust I'm not sure there's anything quite like it.
When you buy one don't even bother with a bag. Have the person working the desk hand it directly to you and then bite in immediately. The beeswax gives the dark exterior a substantial constitution, but it yields easily. The first bite is the best, ravenous and consuming; the second bite is a bit more contemplative. You can taste the sweetness of rum, but the burn of alcohol has long since baked away.
A third bite, and the canalé is completely gone before you've even had a sip of your coffee. But don't judge these delicacies by their size. Try one, and when you're finished you'll be nothing but satisfied.
