Apricot, Sultana and Oat Slice Recipe

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  Apricot, Sultana and Oat Slice A slice built for busy days This kind of oat slice is wonderfully straightforward. Everything happens in one saucepan: melt the butter with the golden syrup, fold through the oats, flour and dried fruit, and press it into a tin. There’s no creaming, no mixers, and no complicated steps. The dried apricots bring a gentle tang, the sultanas add sweetness, and the oats give it that chewy, comforting texture that makes a slice feel hearty rather than sugary. Because it’s sturdy and not too sweet, it’s ideal for lunch boxes, tramping snacks, or keeping in the tin for after‑school nibbling. Wrapped individually, the pieces freeze beautifully — you can pop a frozen square straight into a lunch box in the morning and it will thaw by morning tea. Why slices became such a staple Slices became popular because they were portable, economical, quick to make and bake, and reliable — perfect for busy households and school lunches. Early cookbooks from the late 19th ...
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Traditional Bordeaux Canelé Recipe

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Traditional Bordeaux Canelé

Canelé is a small French pastry with a soft, custardy center and a deeply caramelised crust - one of those little treasures adored by French‑food lovers everywhere. I first tasted canelé around Bordeaux in 2025 and promised myself I’d make them regularly once I was back home in New Zealand.

Traditionally, canelé is baked in individual copper molds, which cost around 20 euros each, even in France. That’s a steep investment for most home cooks when around a dozen are needed, so I set out to find more realistic options that still give that classic fluted shape. I live in hope that one day I stumble upon a cheap copper set in a charity shop. Short of splurging on copper, the choices come down to silicone tray molds - hugely popular, though new to me at the time - or non‑stick metal bakeware trays. Then there’s the question of size: small, medium, or large. I’d only ever eaten the smaller ones, and that size felt more manageable for my first attempts.

Whichever way you go, canelé molds aren’t a cheap purchase compared with standard tins. My advice is simply to be realistic: choose the mold that's affordable for you.

One thing I learned while researching silicone bakeware is that it doesn’t conduct heat the way metal does. This means adjusting your baking approach by lowering the oven temperature by about 15-20°C to prevent the outsides from over‑browning, and expect to stretch the baking time, too.

Another essential element is the coating for the molds: a mix of melted butter and a dash of edible beeswax. This is what gives canelé their signature glossy, amber shell. I’ve tested batches using butter alone and they still turn out nicely, but even a small amount of beeswax adds a depth of flavor and that unmistakable crunchy canelé finish.

I made my first batch using a Le Creuset recipe and a mini 18-hole silicone mold, which was a great starting point. Over time, though, I’ve tweaked things to suit my taste - I prefer a slightly stronger rum note, and I like the beeswax‑and‑butter mixture for greasing the molds rather than butter on its own. I've learned to not use too much wax as it sticks to the inside of one's mouth!  Also, many traditional recipes including Le Creuset's recommend resting the batter in the fridge for 24 hours or more. I’ve found that chilling it in the freezer for an hour while preparing the molds (which I freeze while heating the oven to temperature as well) works beautifully and is more realistic for a home kitchen. My canelé still came out divine and are best eaten the following day.

Here's my take on the Le Creuset recipe:

Makes approx 54 small canelé

Ingredients:

  • 500 ml full cream milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, scrapped, or 1 tsp vanilla extract (try and buy the best quality you can for this recipe)
  • 125gm flour
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 75 mls dark rum
  • 25gms butter and ~10gms edible beeswax melted together for coating the inside of the molds.

Method:

Batter:

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan with the vanilla.  Bring to the boil then remove from heat.  Allow to cool at room temperature for at least half an hour but preferably an hour.  

Whisk together the egg yolks and rum.  Combine with the flour and sugar. Don't beat or overmix.

Pour the cooled milk into the batter 1/3rd at a time.  Mix with a fork using circular motions (as if making an omelet), but don't 'beat' or whisk the batter.  Repeat until all the milk is combined.

Cover and place in the freezer for an hour.

Preparing the mold and cooking:

In a small jug, melt the butter and beeswax together. Using a narrow pastry brush, coat the inside of each mold thoroughly. Place the mold in the freezer to chill.

Heat the oven to 240°C for metal molds or 225°C for silicone.

Remove both the batter and the mold tray from the freezer. Set the mold on a flat baking tray. Give the batter a gentle stir, then pour about half of it into a jug with a pointed spout for cleaner pouring. Fill each mold to three‑quarters full.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 160°C and continue baking for around 40 minutes. Check the color by gently lifting one out with a fork.  If it’s still pale, bake for a further 5–10 minutes until a deeper amber.

Remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before unmolding onto a wire rack.

To serve:

Canelé is best eaten a day after cooking.  They are lovely eaten just as they are, lightly dusted with icing sugar, or dressed up by filling the little indentation on top with a dash of custard or a flavored mascarpone-style cream and a sweet garnish for a fancier occasion.

Bon appétit




Location: New Zealand

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