-
1
In a large stainless steel bowl, dissolve yeast in milk.
-
2
Place over medium heat, and stir just until milk is warm.
-
3
Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 cup flour.
-
4
Cover, and set aside in a warm place to rise 20 minutes, until spongy.
-
5
Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease 8 half-cup baba molds, a 6-cup ring mold or a Bundt pan.
-
6
Place molds on baking sheet.
-
7
Beat remaining butter in a mixer or food processor.
-
8
Beat in 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons flour.
-
9
Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.
-
10
Whisk mixture into yeast sponge.
-
11
Beat in remaining flour to make a thick doughlike batter.
-
12
Spoon batter into molds.
-
13
Set aside to rise about 30 minutes, until dough reaches just above tops of individual molds and barely to top of single large mold.
-
14
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
15
While babas rise, combine remaining sugar with 2 cups water in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
-
16
Remove from heat.
-
17
Stir in orange zest.
-
18
Allow to cool to room temperature.
-
19
Stir in 1/2 cup rum.
-
20
Bake individual babas about 20 minutes, larger baba about 40 minutes, until nicely browned on top.
-
21
When babas are baked, remove from oven and unmold.
-
22
Dip babas into syrup, turning to saturate; place large ring in a large baking dish, and pour syrup over it.
-
23
Cool on rack placed over a baking pan to catch drips.
-
24
Strain jam into saucepan, and heat until quite warm.
-
25
Brush on cooled babas.
-
26
Split vanilla bean, scrape seeds into cream; whip cream, and chill.
-
27
To serve, split babas lengthwise, spoon a tablespoon of the remaining rum on each portion, and top with whipped cream.
-
28
For single baba, fill center of ring with whipped cream and add rum as each portion is cut.
