Best Flaming Babas à Larmagnac Recipes

BABA AU RHUM

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!

BABA AU RHUM

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the milk in a large bowl. Stir in a half cup of the flour. Cover and set aside in a a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
• Beat seven tablespoons of the butter in an electric mixer or in a blender. Beat in two tablespoons of the sugar and two tablespoons of the flour. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
• Beat the remaining flour into the risen yeast mixture, then beat in the butter and egg mixture to make a thick dough-like batter. Butter a large baba or savarin mold or a bundt pan with the remaining butter and spoon the batter into the mold. It should fill it halfway. Cover with a clean cloth and set aside to rise until the dough reaches the top of the mold.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake baba for about 40 minutes, until nicely browned on top.
• While the baba is baking, combine the remaining sugar with the water in a saucepan and boil until syrupy and reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the rum.
• When the baba is baked, remove it from the oven and carefully spoon the rum syrup over it, allowing it to saturate the cake completely.
• Cool completely. Unmold and decorate with candied fruits before serving.

BABA AU RHUM

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.

FLAMING BABA AU RHUM

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 cup warm water into the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in sugar and sprinkle in yeast. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• With mixer on low, beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in flour and salt. Add butter, a few cubes at a time, and beat until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Grease a 10- or 12-cup bundt pan with softened butter. Spoon half the batter into bottom of pan. Sprinkle chocolate over top of batter, making sure the chocolate doesn't touch the sides of the pan. Spoon remaining batter over chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and transfer pan to oven. Bake until deep golden and firm to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes. Let baba cool in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack while it is still warm and let cool completely.
• In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, ginger, orange peel, cloves and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Strain into a bowl; discard solids. Stir 1/2 cup rum into liquid.
• Place wire rack with cake over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour rum syrup slowly over surface of cake, allowing excess to drip into baking sheet below. Pour extra syrup from pan into a bowl and then pour it back on top of cake. Repeat several times until most of the syrup has soaked into the cake. (Reserve extra syrup for serving; you should have a least 1/3 cup left over.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Beat in crème fraîche. Beat in confectioner's sugar, to taste, and vanilla.
• Place cake on large platter. Place remaining 1/4 cup rum in a small skillet over high heat. Tilt skillet slightly so that rum catches fire. (If you don't have a gas range, use a long-handled match or lighter to set rum on fire.) Pour flaming rum over cake and let it burn off. Spoon whipped cream into the hollow center of the cake, then slice; or slice and then dollop with whipped cream. Serve cake with reserved rum syrup.

BABA AU RHUM

Steps:

• Place milk and yeast in a small bowl; stir to dissolve.
• Place flour, salt, and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with dough hook attachment; add yeast mixture and mix on low speed to combine and knead, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula; knead on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar. Add a few small pieces of butter mixture to dough; with the mixer on low, add remaining butter mixture, a little bit at a time. When all the butter mixture has been added, increase speed and continue mixing until smooth, shiny, comes away from the sides of the bowl, and is elastic, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Butter a large bowl, transfer dough to prepared bowl, and cover with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Lift dough from bowl and drop back into bowl to deflate; repeat process once or twice. Cover bowl and transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
• Butter 20 5-ounce baba molds and place on a baking sheet. Divide dough into 20 equal pieces; pinch each piece of dough to form balls. Place each ball of dough into prepared molds.
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and milk. Brush dough with egg yolk mixture, reserving remaining. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray; cover dough, cooking spray-side down, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees in a convection oven (425 degrees in a conventional oven).
• Working from the outside inward, brush each baba very lightly with reserved egg yolk mixture. Transfer molds to oven and bake until baba just begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees (if using a convection oven; 400 if using a conventional oven) and continue baking until deep golden-brown and internal temperature reaches 205 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 5 to 10 minutes more.
• Remove from oven and let cool in mold for 5 minutes. Unmold onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Poke bases of babas all over with a toothpick. Working in batches, gently drop babas into hot rum syrup, submerging completely; let soak until there are no more bubbles. Place on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining baba; serve drizzled with additional rum syrup, whipped cream, and cherries, if desired.

FLAMING BABAS à L'ARMAGNAC

Steps:

• In a mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, eggs and salt. Switch to a dough hook and work on medium-low speed until dough is very smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, 5 to 15 minutes. Add the butter and work for 5 minutes.
• With floured hands, divide the dough into 16 balls. Place in a baba or small cupcake mold (butter if the molds are metal). Let rise till doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from molds and place on a rack overnight.
• Bring sugar, 1 1/2 cups water and Armagnac to a boil. Pour over dates and currants. Soak overnight.
• An hour or two before serving, bring syrup ingredients and 7 cups water to a boil. Let cool until just warm. Place babas in a bowl and strain the syrup over them. Let soak 30 to 45 minutes.
• Whip the cream, then whip in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla-bean seeds. Refrigerate.
• Melt butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Sauté bananas until soft, a few minutes per side. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and cook until the sugar caramelizes.
• Arrange bananas and some dates and currants on 8 plates. Drain the babas and place 2 on each plate. Top with cream. Warm and ignite the Armagnac, and pour it on top.