(for the Cake)
1 Tablespoon dry yeast
3 Tablespoons warm water
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup golden raisins or dried currants
3 Tablespoons dark rum
12 baba molds (see picture below)
(for the Rum syrup)
3 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup dark rum
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup apricot preserves, heated
Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish
Directions: Stir the yeast and the warm water together
in a large bowl and allow the yeast to dissolve for 5 minutes. Lightly beat the
eggs into the yeast and water. Mix the flour, sugar, citrus zest and salt
together and then stir the mixture into the yeast and eggs. Knead the dough with
the softened butter for about 5 minutes, until it turns soft and elastic. Cover
the dough and allow it to rise for 1 hour, until it doubles in size. While the
dough is rising, soak the raisins or currants in 3 tablespoons of rum. Once the
dough has doubled, beat the rum-soaked fruit into it. Grease the baba molds and
divide the dough among them. Preheat oven to 400F. Cover the molds and allow
the dough to rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until the dough has just started to rise
above the molds’ edges. Uncover the babas and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes,
until they turn golden brown and begin to pull away from the sides of the molds.
Immediately remove the babas from the molds and allow them to cool on a wire
rack. While the babas are cooling, make the rum soaking syrup. In a medium
saucepan on medium heat, bring the water and sugar to a boil for 5 to 10 minutes
or until the syrup has thickened. Remove the syrup from the heat and stir the
rum and vanilla extract into the mixture. Place the babas into the hot rum
syrup and turn them several times, allowing them to soak up the syrup. They will
swell and absorb most of the syrup. Carefully transfer each baba onto a dessert
plate and brush with a generous amount of heated apricot preserves. Garnish the
babas with the whipped cream and serve immediately. (Makes 12 servings) ~ Chef
~
