Makes: 15
Active time: 1 hour
Rising time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Storage: Up to 2 days in the refrigerator
Do you have a sweet tooth but find the thought of attempting fine French pâtisserie intimidating? Have no fear – this fruit baba recipe is easy as pie.
Ingredients
For the baba dough
- 0.5 oz (15g) fresh yeast
- Scant ½ cup (100ml) lukewarm water (about 77°F/25°C)
- ⅔ cup (5.25 oz/150g) lightly beaten egg (about 3 eggs)
- 2¾ cups (9 oz/250g) flour
- 1¼ tsp (5g) salt
- 1 heaped tbsp (0.5 oz/15g) sugar
- 4 tbsp (2 oz/60g) butter, melted, divided
For the syrup
- 2¼-2½ cups (1 lb-1 lb 2 oz/450-500g) sugar
- 4 cups (1l) water
For the decoration
- 9 oz (250g) Chantilly cream
- Fresh fruit of your choice, such as pineapple, raspberries etc, prepared as necessary
Special equipment
- 15 x 3 in (8 cm) baba moulds
- Instant-read thermometer
- Pastry bag fitted with a fluted ½ in (10mm) tip
- Mixing bowl with a round base, chilled
Directions
For the baba dough
1In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and whisk in the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients, except the butter, and work them together with your hands, kneading well. Knead in 3 tablespoons (1.5 oz/45g) of the melted butter and then allow the dough to rise (see Chef’s note). Lightly grease the moulds with the remaining butter. Knead the dough again and divide it between the moulds, filling each one, and then allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
2Preheat the oven to 400°F (210°C/ Gas mark 6). Place the babas in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325°F (160°C/Gas mark 3) and bake for 15 minutes or until risen and golden. Turn out of the moulds.
For the syrup
1In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
To finish
1Allow the syrup to cool to 140°F (60°C). Soak the babas well in the syrup. Spoon the cream into the pastry bag fitted with a fluted tip and pipe rosettes on top of the babas. Decorate with fresh fruit.
CHEF’S NOTES
- Leave the baba dough to rise in a warm place or a cool oven (75°F/25°C) with a bowl of boiling water.
- Do not butter the moulds too generously or small holes will appear in the baba crust.
- If the baked babas are too dry, soak them in boiling rather than cooled syrup.
This comes courtesy of Taste of France Issue Two. For more great recipes, food news and interviews with top chefs, buy your copy here!
