Baba Au Rhum recipe with Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva

With the cool, crisp smell of winter’s air, it is starting to feel a lot like Christmas. In between holiday preparations, Christmas shopping and looking for the perfect tree, we also find time to indulge in comforting food with our loved ones. And with the sudden drop in temperatures, we look for warmth wherever we can find it.

 

Rum has been included in many desserts over the years. Its natural sweetness makes it a perfect ingredient for decadent desserts: rum raisin ice cream, fruitcake, rum-flamed bananas, gâteau nantais, the list goes on.

 

Additionally, its unique warmth makes it an unmissable ingredient in Christmas desserts. Drink eggnog in the US or eat a piece of Christmas pudding in the UK. One of the most famous recipes featuring rum is Baba au Rhum (also known as Rum Baba). Baba au Rhum is a small yeast cake, saturated with a delicious rum syrup. To add an even more sinful touch, it is sometimes filled with cream, whipped or pastry.

 

• Baba Au Rhum: origin

 

Believe it or not, this rich and tasty combination was actually created by mistake, like most amazing inventions are. We owe this particular discovery to Nicolas Stohrer, a French chef working for exiled Polish king Stanislas Leszcynski. The story says that it is inspired by the Gugelhupf, a typical Alsace cake that Stohrer brought for the king, but unfortunately, the cake dried up during the journey back. Looking for ways to save it, Stohrer decided to soak the dry cake with Malaga wine, a sweet wine from Andalusia, and stuff it with saffron, dried raisins and crême pâtissière.

 

King Stanislas loved the result so much he decided to name the cake the Ali-baba, after the main character of his favorite novel at the time, One Thousand and One Nights. The name evolved over the years, so did the recipe. Rum replaced wine, and Baba au Rhum became a multicultural delight in many countries, a perfect addition to your Christmas recipes.

 

• Baba Au Rhum recipe

 

When cooking, the quality of the ingredients is paramount. And with rum being at the center of this particular dessert, using premium aged rums, like Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, is ideal. Its unique tasting profile pairs really well with this type of recipe.

 

Still looking for the perfect dessert to end your Christmas meal? Search no more. Here it is our recipe of Baba Au Rhum with Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva. And on this note, from Diplomático, we wish you a very merry Christmas.

 

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 25 g of fresh yeast
• 3 tablespoons of hot milk
• 125 g of flour
• 125 ml of hot water
• 50 g of butter
• 3 eggs
• 20 g of sugar
• 1 pinch of salt

 

For the syrup:

• 50 ml of water
• 100 g of sugar
• Vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons of Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva

 

For the glass of rum that accompanies the dessert:

Ice, orange peel and 20 ml of Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva

 

Preparation:

Dilute 25 g of fresh yeast in 3 tablespoons of hot milk. Mix this with 125 g of flour and 125 ml of hot water. Add 50 g of butter previously melted in a bain-marie.

Combine ingredients in a dough and add 3 beaten eggs, 20 g of sugar and a pinch of salt.

In individual circular molds, distribute the dough evenly. Grate a little tangerine peel over the babas. Let it rest for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Put the molds in the oven for 10 minutes at 180ºC.

While the babas are cooking, prepare the syrup. In a saucepan, put 50 ml of water and 100 g of sugar. Heat over low heat until the sugar is well diluted.

Add a little vanilla extract and 6 tablespoons of Reserva Exclusiva. Combine.

Take the cakes out of the oven and bathe them with the syrup.

Serve and enjoy paired with a glass of Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva.