Thursday, January 26, 2012

Rosie Makes Birthday Babas.

Monday was Little Glow's birthday, so Rosie made Babas au Rhum.
Ingredients for Babas: 6 TB warm water 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast 1 tsp sugar 1 large egg, room temperature 3/4 cup flour 2 TB unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 4 pieces Pour water in a medium bowl and sprinkle yeast and sugar over top. When yeast proofs, add in egg and stir to mix. Put flour in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add the yeast mixture. Mix on low for a minute or two, just until ingredients are blended, then increase speed to medium and beat for about 8 minutes, until the mixture is smooth. Add butter and beat on low until butter is absorbed - about 2 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, place in a warm place, and let rise for about an hour. It's not going to double in size, but there will be a noticeable increase in volume and a bubbly lightness.
The Fruit 1/4 cup raisins 1/3 cup dark rum While the dough is rising, put the raisins in a small bowl and cover with rum. When the dough has risen, drain the raisins, reserving the rum, and stir raisins into the dough. Fill buttered baba molds halfway. Let dough rise in a warm place until it fills the molds - about an hour. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden, have shrunk slightly from the sides of the molds, and can be removed easily. Unmold babas and let cool on rack before soaking and filling. The Syrup 2 cups water 1 cup sugar Reserved dark rum Put water and sugar in small saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil for 30 seconds and turn off heat. Drop babas, one at a time, into the syrup and let them soak, turning once, for about 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, lift pastries out of the syrup and onto the cooling rack. Allow to cool before dousing with rum and filling with cream. The Pastry Cream 1 cup milk 1 vanilla bean, split 4 large egg yolks 1/4 cup sugar 2 TB cornstarch 1 TB unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/3 cup heavy cream, lightly whipped Put the milk in a medium saucepan and scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the pan. Toss in the pod and bring the milk to a boil. While the milk is heating, whisk the yolks and sugar together until well blended. Add cornstarch and continue to whisk until thoroughly incorporated. As soon as the milk comes to a boil, pour a little of it into the yolks, whisking constantly. Whisk the yolks back into the saucepan and continue to cook, whisking the pastry cream until it thickens. This happens in about a minute, so be alert. Remove the pan from the heat and retrieve the vanilla bean. Wash the cream off the bean and let it dry. Then add it to your special bowl of vanilla sugar. Scrape the pastry cream into a bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface to make an airtight seal. Refrigerate to chill. I put the bowl of pastry cream in another bowl filled with ice water to accelerate the cooling. When you're ready to fill the babas, fold the whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream.
Yeast into warm water.
Sugar in.
I let the yeast proof before adding in the egg.
Add the liquid mixture into the flour.
After beating thoroughly, I added in the butter.
And this is what the consistency of the dough is like.
It's slowly pulling itself off the paddle.
This makes a tiny bit of dough. I covered this in plastic, nuked a damp towel for about 90 seconds, and wrapped the towel around the bowl, and set it back in the microwave to rise.
While my dough is rising, I soaked the raisins in rum.
Butter your molds.
This is the dough after an hour. It's risen and it's light and bubbly.
This is the consistency of the dough.
Drop in the raisins and ...
... fold in.
Spread the dough evenly in the molds. Not the easiest thing to do, since this a very sticky dough.
Try to even the dough out. Place in a warm area, and let rise until the molds are filled. (About an hour.) While the dough was rising, I made the pastry cream.
The Pastry Cream 1 cup milk 1 vanilla bean, split 4 large egg yolks 1/4 cup sugar 2 TB cornstarch 1 TB unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/3 cup heavy cream, lightly whipped
Vanilla beans and pod in milk. Bring to boil.
While the milk is heating, whisk eggs with sugar.
Add in cornstarch and continue whisking until thoroughly combined.
You want your pastry cream to be very creamy and smooth.
Milk is boiling. Remove from heat and pick out vanilla pods.
Rinse the cream off the pods and let them dry out totally, then add them to your stash of vanilla sugar.
I poured in about a third of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking so the eggs don't curdle.
Pour egg mixture back to milk, whisking constantly.
Return to medium heat, whisking constantly until ...
... the sauce thickens. Doesn't take long - about a minute - so be alert.
Remove pastry cream from heat, and stir in butter.
Cover with plastic wrap touching against the surface and refrigerate. I put the pastry bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice water to hasten the cooling process.
My babas have risen. Ready for a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Lightly golden and pulling away from the sides.
Let cool.
Spongy! All the better to soak up the goodness.
For the syrup, mix 2 cups water with 1 cup sugar. Bring to boil. Boil for 30 seconds.
I soaked each baba 30 seconds each side.
Let drain.
I poured the rest of the syrup over the babas and let them soak it up.
For heaven's sake, don't forget the reserved rum.
Let cool completely before piping in the pastry cream.
When you're ready for the Pastry Cream, lightly whip the heavy cream.
Add the whipped cream into the Pastry Cream and ...
... gently fold it in.
Spoon Pastry Cream into a plastic bag.
And fill each baba with the cream.
The birthday girl got cherries in hers.
These little cakes are very light. And it's good to know this recipe for Pastry Cream. That's some excellent stuff.

2 comments:

Mr. P said...

The Babas look yummy. I trust you enjoyed!

Rosie Hawthorne said...

Mr. P, I had 6 molds in my pan, although the recipe actually called for 8. I gave two to Glowria, and we kept four.

I still have the Pastry Cream left.
That was divine.