Directions

Preheat the oven to 375. In a medium saucepan heat milk, sugar, vanilla, and butter. I brought it just to a simmer. Let cool completely and remove vanilla pod.
When milk is completely cool add the egg yolks and rum, and then gradually add the flour. Mix until dough is soft and no flour lumps (this is where I strained it).
Butter moulds with melted butter and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Spoon batter into moulds.
Cook for about 1 1/2 hours. To check if they’re done after about 1:20 - every five or ten minutes I would quickly open the oven, grab one of the moulds and slip the cake out of the mould to see if the crust deep inside the mould was browning and done. If it wasn't finished I would quickly pop it back into the mould, and back into the oven. The bases get really dark, so it is hard to tell if the rest of the cake is finished any other way. Resist the urge to pull them out early, they really do need a long time to bake properly.
Makes 12 cannelés.