Show of hands...who's had a Rum Baba?

[Rum Runner Imports]

This term came up in my girlfriend's crossword puzzle tonight. Prior to tonight I'd never heard of it...but having looked it up, it looks pretty awesome!

For those who have had one...what are they like?

[RonJames]

had um, love um, will order them every time I see them on a menu.

1st time I had them was at a German restaurant and they were loaded with rum, I actually felt crocked after eating there although this could have been the German beer as well

Promptly told a french woman I know about the experience, and she gave me a recipe the very next day. She also said to use a Puerto Rican rum as it was the best, which tickled my PR wife pink

That being said I haven't made them yet as it is a time consuming enterprise but if you'd like the recipe just ask and I'll dig it up for you.

[lperry]

I had one at an Italian restaurant, which is interesting paired with the German experience above, because Wikipedia indicates they were invented in France. They are little soft, rich, pillowy cakes soaked in a rum/sugar syrup.

[Edward Hamilton]

Feel free to add your recipe to the database (http://www.ministryofrum.com/addrecipe.php) and it will appear on the front page, randomly, with a credit to you.

Please let me know if you have any problems with the link. You can find it through My Favorites (http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/recipes.php), above to the left, or Rum Recipes (http://www.ministryofrum.com/rumcock.php), from the nav menu to the left.

[Rojo Camacho]

They are little soft, rich, pillowy cakes soaked in a rum/sugar syrup.

WOW, thats sounds like i need to find some! never heard of a rum baba until today. my one thing im supposed to learn today, i can take the rest of the day off, thanks

[thrall]

Yep...love them. Though i think of them more of a Baba au Rhum then a Rum baba.

[RonJames]

Thrall your avatar is gonna get me in trouble if my wife ever looks at this computer while Im typing. As for the recipe, I've been meaning to add it but its on a piece of paper that I would have to type up. I know its an excuse but this french woman was REALLY long winded (as only the french rightfully so can do with baking).

[thrall]

Thrall your avatar is gonna get me in trouble if my wife ever looks at this computer while Im typing. As for the recipe, I've been meaning to add it but its on a piece of paper that I would have to type up. I know its an excuse but this french woman was REALLY long winded (as only the french rightfully so can do with baking).

LOL...and here i put in one of my tame avatars....not one of my standard stock avis....lol

please please please please......post the recipe.........please please please....

I tell you what RJ...you post it.....ill make it and take pics...how about that for a deal?

[RonJames]

allright, here we go. I have the french woman recipe at my house on a piece of paper somewhere. I'll have to find it. But I have a different one that I pulled off the internet before I got her recipe. Here it is

Babas au Rhum

Ingredients:
1 yeast; pkg.
1/2 cup water; warm
3 egg; large
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup flour; white
5 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoon butter; melted

Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange; juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup rum


Instructions:
Stir yeast into water and let sit 15 minutes. Beat 2 eggs, add salt and stir into the yeast mixture. Place flour into another bowl. Make a hole in center and add egg mixture. Beat with a spoon until smooth. Beat the other egg and add to dough. Cover bowl and let rise 1 hour in a warm place. Beat in the sugar and cooled butter. Cover. Let rise 1 more hour. Grease 8 muffin cups or ramkins. Fill 1/3 full and bake in 400F oven for 15-20 minutes. Turn onto wire rack set over a jellyroll pan.

Syrup: Simmer sugar and orange juice for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, add lemon juice and rum. Invert babas and pour syrup over them, basting several times. Flambe if you wish. Serve with ice cream if desired.

[thrall]

lol...and here i was hoping for the French lady's recipe on the scrap of paper.....*snaps fingers...damn!*

Thanks for the recipe RJ....want to re post it in the recipe section too??....


And...here is the better question about the Baba's....what would everyone's choice of rum be to drench this delectable delight in???....hhhmm....i wonder....Im thinking something dark with lots of caramel and vanilla....

i can hear it now...."but really boss...im not drunk...i just had a piece of cake".....lol

[Mistahunter]

I am thinking I would try it first with some zacapa centenario...

I would also try it with Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva...

Hmmm...maybe Cruzan Blackstrap would work too!

At the very least, I'll have fun tasting!!!

[Rum Runner]

This term came up in my girlfriend's crossword puzzle tonight. Prior to tonight I'd never heard of it...but having looked it up, it looks pretty awesome!

For those who have had one...what are they like?

Thanks for bringing back an old memory. I first experienced a Baba au Rhum in the company of Italian-American family friends many years ago. The grandmother of the family (Nana Stellina) was quite the cook and baker. I was surprised she took such a fancy to a French recipe, but after tasting them I knew why she did. She made the cakes in the classic French sponge recipe. She soaked them in white rum she sweetened with cane sugar, then (just to add her Italian signature) splashed a little Anis liqueur over the top just before serving. What a wonderful experience.

[Edward Hamilton]

Trini Zaya comes to mind.

[bunnyhugs]

Rum Baba is one of my favorite deserts. I used to have a few recipes for this but those are all back in New Zealand and I'm in Shanghai at the moment. It's also been a few years since I've made one.

A few points though. . .

The cake mix has to be yeast-based. You're basically making a rich sweet bread (something like a brioche) and soaking it. It shouldn't be sponge cake soaked in rum - because then it won't have the yeast taste, or the right texture (rich, hard and dense - but softened up with rum syrup).

Although you could make individual ones in muffin tins or whatever (though really you want small baba molds - tall things almost like mini cocktail shakers), I like to make it in a ring mold. You still plenty of surface area (so it cooks the way it should), but you can decorate the thing with fruit, maybe fill the center with cream. Makes an impressive presentation.

Also, I quite like recipes that include a few currants or something in the mix.

Decorating the top of the finished thing with fresh or poached/caramelized fruit is a good idea (pineapples or apricots seem to work).

I really suggest slightly sweetened sort-whipped cream rather than ice-cream. You could maybe think about putting a little rum in the cream.

As for the rum, I never tried Barbancourt but I've always thought it would work well in this. I was making this thing before I got into rum so I'd just use whatever was in the cupboard - usually Mt. Gay or Coruba.

I can see it working with pretty much anything, though these days I'd probably want to avoid the dark rums with added molasses (i.e. Coruba style) and go with something lighter. Given that it's French maybe an agricole would do well.