Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Ali Baba

BABA


A cake made from leavened dough that contains raisins and is steeped, after baking, in rum or Kirsh syrup.It is served either as individual small cakes baked in dariole moulds or as a large cake, often decorated with angelica nad glace(candied) cherries.

The origin of this cake is attributed to the greediness of the Polish king Stanislas,who was exiled in Lorraine.He found the traditional kouglof too dry and improved it by adding rum.As a dedicated reader of the Thousand and One Nights, he is said to have named this creation after hisfavourite hero,Ali BAba. This recipe was a great success at the court of Nancy, where it was usually served with a sauce of sweetened Malaga.Creme writes, however: "It was well known that the true Polish baba should bemade with rye flour and Hungarian wine."

Sthorer, a pastrycook who attended the court of Polish king, perfected the recipe using a brioche steeped in alcohol; he made it thespeciality of his house in the RueMontorgueil in Paris and called it 'baba'. Around 1850. several renowned pastrycooks, taking their inspiration from the baba, created the faibourg in Bordeaux the brillat - savarin( later known as the savarin_ in Paris.



Preparing individuals rum babas.


  • Make a well in the flour and add the sugar, salt, and the whole eggs; mix well and add the yeast dissolced in warm water

  • Add the butter and raisins. The batter should be thick and elastic.

  • Pour the batter into buttered baba moulds and leave it to rise ina warm place

  • As soon as they are cooked, turn out the baba abd leave them to cool completely ona wire rack.

  • Immerse them several at a time in boiling syrup, or spoon it over them until they are well soaked.Finally decorate them with glace(candied) cherries and angelica

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