French Caramel Nonnettes (Nonnettes au Caramel)
These hearty, spiced cake morsels from Dijon are flavoured with honey and brimming with buttery French-style caramel.
Nonnettes are small muffins that started life in monastic kitchens in central France. Like many European baking traditions, nuns had the time and resources to craft new recipes and were usually the ones to ignite new culinary traditions and styles. Meaning ‘little nuns’ in French, nonnettes are made in a similar way to Pain d’Éspices, a no-knead traditional sweet bread flavoured with spices and served around Christmas. Like Pain d’Éspices, nonnettes usually contain no eggs and are made by combining honey and melted butter with wholewheat flour, which creates a denser, heartier texture compared to a regular muffin or sponge cake. For this reason, nonnettes are ideally eaten a few days after baking. Traditionally flavoured with orange zest and filled with orange marmalade, this modern version of the nonnette features a caramel heart using French butter caramel. You could use a shop-bought caramel for this but making it from scratch will give you a richer result, and some spare to enjoy on crêpes! Whichever your preference, you’ll find these incredibly addictive. Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (makes 12x)
SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL
120g granulated sugar
4 tablespoons water
50g salted butter
NONNETTES
150ml water
200ml honey
80g butter
50g caster sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice
180g light rye flour or whole wheat
100g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
WALKTHROUGH
SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL
A few hours before, make the salted butter caramel. Into a saucepan, add the 120g of sugar along with 4 tablespoons of water. Place the pan onto a medium-low heat. Do not stir the pan - this can make the sugar crystallise. Allow it to come to a gentle boil and wait for the sugar to dissolve.
Once the sugar dissolves, continue simmering the mixture steadily on low heat, swirling minimally until the mixture starts to turn copper-brown - like a penny.
Add the 50g of salted butter and swirl the pan, allowing the butter to seethe and melt into the caramel. Turn off the heat. It may look oily or curdled at this stage, this is normal. Using a whisk, beat the mixture until it cools slightly and the butter emulsifies smoothly with the caramel. Set the caramel aside to cool and thicken to a spoonable consistency.
NONNETTES
Into a saucepan, add the 150ml water, 200g honey, 80g butter, 50g caster sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ground cloves/allspice. Place over a medium heat and heat until the butter has completely melted and the mixture is combined. Allow it to cool until it is around body temperature.
In a mixing bowl, add the 180g light rye/wholewheat flour, 100g of plain flour, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tablespoon of baking powder. Pour in the cooled liquid mixture and beat together with a wooden spoon until you have a thick batter.
Generously butter a 12-hole muffin tin. You don’t need to line the holes. Spoon the cake batter into the muffin tin, evening them out with a spoon. Whack the tray on a countertop 2-3 times to remove any large air pockets, and leave the tray to rest for 1 hour at a cool room temperature or in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place a rack on the middle shelf of the oven so it’s ready.
Once rested, use a wooden rod or a dampened finger and make some 1/2 inch-sized impressions in each portion of batter. Add a small amount of the cooled butter caramel to the trench. Transfer the muffin tin to the middle rack of the oven and bake at 200C/400F for 15-20 minutes, until firm to the touch and the caramel is just starting to dribble out.
Allow the nonnettes to cool completely once out of the oven and then remove them the tin. Nonnettes are famous for sticking to their tin so take care to prize them from the moulds. Place them in a sealed container and if possible, let them sit for 1-2 days to gain in flavour and texture. Enjoy!
