Baba au cognac
This legendary dessert is given a new lease of life with the addition of Cognac instead of the more traditional rum thanks to The Social Food authors Shirley Garrier and Mathieu Zouhairi
Servings: 4 small babas
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 ½ tsp 10 g active dry yeast
- 1 ½ tsp milk
- 4 ¼ tbsp 64 g butter
- 1 ⅔ cups 133 g pastry flour
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp 21 g sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 extra-large eggs
Whipped Cream
- 1 vanilla pod
- 1 ¼ cups 300 g heavy (double) cream
- 1 tbsp 8 g powdered sugar
- 1 cup 200 g sugar
- ½ cup 125 ml Cognac
- Zest of 1 lemon optional
Instructions
Make the dough
- Dissolve the yeast in warmed milk.
- Remove the butter from the fridge so that it is at room temperature.
- Knead the flour, sugar, salt and yeast together in a mixer. Incorporate the eggs, and knead until the dough comes away from the sides of the mixer. Next, incorporate the softened butter one third at a time, kneading until the dough becomes elastic.
- Cover the dough with a dish towel and allow to proof for 45 minutes at room temperature.
- Butter the mould or moulds and transfer the dough into them, filling about two-third of the way. Set aside to proof once more for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC, Gas Mark 4) for 10 minutes.
- Bake 20 minutes for individual moulds or 30 minutes for a large one.
Make the whipped cream
- Split the vanilla bean pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the edge of a knife. Whip the cream with the vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy.
Make the cognac syrup
- In a saucepan, heat 2¼ cups (475 ml) water and sugar over low heat.
- Remove from the heat and add Cognac and the lemon zest, if using. Set aside to cool.
- Remove the baba (or babas) from the mould(s), place on a rack, and soak in the syrup until spongy. Place them on a dish and cover with whipped cream.