To cap off the year I decided to try something new – baking one of my favorite pastries: Canelés de Bordeaux. Canelés done right are an amazing creation – a crunchy, caramelized outer shell contrasting with a rum and vanilla infused soft custard middle. They’re also fickle, with a myriad ways for things to go wrong (mushrooming, white butts, sagging, etc.). With the help of an excellent recipe that consolidates a bunch of research and tips from other bakers, I was fortunate to pull off perfect canelés on my first attempt. Canelés involve a number of steps that must be done carefully and in the right order, so attention to…