Baba Au Rhum Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the currants and rum in a small bowl and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush a 5-cup (6 1/2 by 3 1/2-inch) tube pan or kugelhopf mold with the melted butter. Be sure to coat every crevice of the pan. Heat the milk to 115 degrees F and then pour it into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir in the yeast and sugar and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, first add the eggs, then the flour, salt, and remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater to form the dough into a ball. It will be very soft. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Drain the currants, fold them into the dough with a spatula, and spoon into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, cover the pan with a damp towel, and allow to rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and make the Rum Syrup.
• Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then tap it out of the cake pan onto a baking rack set over a sheet pan. Pour all of the Rum Syrup very slowly onto the warm cake, allowing it all to soak in thoroughly. Amazingly, the liquid will be absorbed into the cake, so be sure to use all of the syrup.
• Heat the preserves with 1 tablespoon of water until runny, press it through a sieve, and brush it on the cake. Serve with Whipped Cream piped into the middle of the cake plus an extra bowl on the side.
• Place the sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a 4-cup heat-proof measuring cup and allow to cool. Add the rum and vanilla and set aside.
• Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't overbeat, or you'll end up with butter!

Steps:

• Combine the vanilla syrup and the rum. Douse sponge cake with rum syrup mixture. Fill cake shell with pudding. Top with arranged, sliced strawberries.

Steps:

• Make the cakes: Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 115 degrees F. Transfer the milk to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the yeast and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add the flour, the 5 tablespoons butter, the eggs, orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix on low speed until combined, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula as needed, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to mix until the dough is slightly large, elastic and everything is well combined (the dough will be very runny and soft), about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and place in a warm spot to sit until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the currants and rye in a small bowl and let soak until the currants are plump, about 1 hour. Drain and set the currants aside.
• Stir the apricot preserves with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth; set aside.
• Whisk the heavy cream with the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously brush 12 baba au rhum molds with butter and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Once the dough has risen, gently fold in the currants by hand. Scoop 1/4 dough into each mold. Cover the molds with a clean dish towel and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 20 minutes. Be sure to watch closely--the dough will rise quickly and you do not want it to rise above the mold.
• Bake until the cakes are deep golden brown on top and have risen above the mold, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, make the syrup: Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, rye, rum and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, whisking frequently, until the sugar has dissolved, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Stir occasionally to prevent film from forming.
• If needed, run a small offset spatula around the edge of each mold to loosen the cakes and pop them out. (The molds will still be warm so hold them with a clean dish towel to protect your hands). Working with one cake at a time, roll in the syrup to coat completely. Remove with a slotted spoon to a serving platter or plate and repeat with the remaining cakes. Spoon the apricot preserves over the cakes and then dollop each with some of the whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: Put yeast and sugar in a medium bowl and stir in ¼ cup lukewarm water. Leave for 10 minutes, until mixture is bubbly. Add eggs and salt to the yeast mixture, and whisk together.
• In a medium mixing bowl, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the egg-yeast mixture and drained raisins, and beat with a wooden spoon, mixing well to make a soft, sticky dough. (Alternatively, prepare the dough in a stand mixer.) Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Butter 2 mini-muffin tins or 12 mini ramekins. Uncover dough, dust lightly with flour and turn out onto a clean work surface. Add flour as necessary to make dough manageable and knead lightly to make a large, slightly sticky ball. Cut the dough into 12 pieces of equal size (about 2 ounces/55 grams). Dust each with flour, roll each into a ball and place in muffin tins or ramekins. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the syrup: Put honey, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups/360 milliliters water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla and rum, turn off heat and let syrup cool to room temperature.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake babas until lightly browned on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn babas out of their molds and onto a baking sheet, and return to the oven for 5 minutes to brown all over, as necessary. Remove and cover babas with a clean towel to keep them soft. (Store, cooled, in an airtight container at room temperature if making in advance.)
• About 2 hours before serving, place babas, top-side down, in a deep baking dish. Pour syrup over and let soak. Turn babas over a few times in syrup - they should get quite soggy.
• Prepare the whipped cream: With a whisk, hand-held beaters or in a stand mixer, whip cream to very soft peaks. Add sugar and whip lightly, leaving mixture soft.
• To serve, place one or two babas in a low soup plate. Spoon over a little more syrup, and splash on about a tablespoon of rum. Serve a big spoonful of whipped cream on the side. If desired, garnish with a strip of orange zest, plucked from the syrup.

Steps:

• In a large stainless steel bowl, dissolve yeast in milk. Place over medium heat, and stir just until milk is warm. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 cup flour. Cover, and set aside in a warm place to rise 20 minutes, until spongy.
• Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease 8 half-cup baba molds, a 6-cup ring mold or a Bundt pan. Place molds on baking sheet.
• Beat remaining butter in a mixer or food processor. Beat in 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.
• Whisk mixture into yeast sponge. Beat in remaining flour to make a thick doughlike batter. Spoon batter into molds. Set aside to rise about 30 minutes, until dough reaches just above tops of individual molds and barely to top of single large mold.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While babas rise, combine remaining sugar with 2 cups water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in orange zest. Allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in 1/2 cup rum.
• Bake individual babas about 20 minutes, larger baba about 40 minutes, until nicely browned on top.
• When babas are baked, remove from oven and unmold. Dip babas into syrup, turning to saturate; place large ring in a large baking dish, and pour syrup over it. Cool on rack placed over a baking pan to catch drips. Strain jam into saucepan, and heat until quite warm. Brush on cooled babas.
• Split vanilla bean, scrape seeds into cream; whip cream, and chill. To serve, split babas lengthwise, spoon a tablespoon of the remaining rum on each portion, and top with whipped cream. For single baba, fill center of ring with whipped cream and add rum as each portion is cut.