You might not know this about me just yet but I love slow mail. Hand-written letters, postcards, surprise parcels, you name it, I send it.

But more often than not, my own mailbox seems to only bring me bills and useless ads for places I’ll never visit.

But last week was anything but that, because instead of all those things I immediately put in the (recycling) bin, I received a pretty little white patisserie box promising “Little Indulgences“…
Once I lifted the lid, familiar aromas of vanilla and rum perfumes the room. The accompagnying cards are delightfully retro but I can only focus on that sweet smell that brings back childhood memories. With trembling hands, I open the tissue paper standing between me and those “little indulgences”.And here they are. Rows after rows of perfect canelés (both in the Regular and mini sizes).
I first discovered those delightful Bordeaux specialities when I was just a kid travelling with my grandmother. I can’t even remember where it was or when, but this first bite into the caracteristic caramelized crust, followed by the chewiness of the soft interior is something I have never forgotten. The apparent simplicity of the canelé, and yet the complexity of flavour and texture fascinates me. It is around that time that I fall in love with desserts and start baking frantically. The first bite brings me back to this first taste I ever had of canelé. Yvonne & Guite prides itself on making canelés “as they should be” and I don’t think there’s a better way to put it.

Which is not really surprising. Caroline, Yvonne & Guite‘s founder, started her company in September last year but just like I did, she fell over in the caldron of canelés in her childhood. She experienced in the family kitchen with her sister, began baking them on a regular basis after being gifted moulds by her mum, start developping her own recipes as she couldn’t find anything she was entirely happy with in books or on the Internet… 
After failing to find the perfect canelés for a house party, Caroline makes it her mission to introduce London’s foodie to this traditional French wonder. The canelé revolution is on its way.Made with all-natural ingredients, freshness truly is key when it comes to canelés. Since no artificial colouring or preservatives are used, they’re best if eaten within two-three days of their baking date. Challenge accepted!Yvonne & Guite’s canelés have the most perfect of textures: slightly crisp crust and soft, very moist interiors. Just how they should be. 
Can we all please take a second to admire how cute the mini-canelés are? I must admit I liked the regular-sized one better (mostly because they fitted my childhood memory better though!), but those would make the best of gifts, wouldn’t they? #DefinitelyOnMyChristmasList

If you feel like you need a box of canelés in your life (trust me, you do!), you can order them by contacting Yvonne & Guite by phone at 0795 794 6984 or email at hello@yvonneguite.com.

Regular and mini-canelés are also distributed by Bonativo, who is taking London’s farmers and producers online in a bid to make food shopping more local and sustainable (click: Bakery | Cakes & Brownies).

*I was gifted this sample box by Yvonne & Guite but all over-excitement, opinions and pictures are definitely mine!