In the world of dessert, canelés are an underdog.
Those who have had the Bordeaux-born confections—made from crepe-like
batter baked in thimble-shaped copper molds—tend to love them fiercely for
their custard-meets-cake insides and slightly chewy, burnt-sugar
exteriors. But canelés have yet to receive the recognition
afforded their macaron and madeleine cousins. Stéphane Muszynski,
a Frenchman who works in sales at a software company, is seeking to change
that with Smack, his canelé delivery service that debuted in
February and serves DC and its immediate suburbs.
The chicly packaged treats are perfectly burnished and still
delicious even after sitting around a few days. Muszynski has come up with
flavors of his own—salted caramel, raspberry—but we can’t get enough of
the vanilla-bean-flecked originals. Order them, in sets ranging from 8
pieces for $10 to 50 pieces for $45, at iwantsmack.com, and a
satin-bowed box will arrive the next day. There might never be
canelé bakeries on every corner, but Muszynski’s sweets deserve
to hit the big time.
This article appears in the December 2012 issue of The Washingtonian.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
