Rum Babas

 

Rum Babas are something that really up until now never appealed to me.  I think the problem was down to the word Rum, I have a big recollection as a small child at someone letting me taste the dark Navy rum YUCK! And I like a rum and coke as much as the next person does but put the name Rum and anything and my face grimaces automatically. 

Then these got made on the great British bake off.  They actually looked nice.  They sounded nice and cause a lot of interest on twitter. So first problem first it was decided coconut rum/Malibu would be my choice of booze and I just yesterday happened upon Rum Baba moulds.  We were all set. 

So I opened the relevant page earlier on in the Great British bake off showstoppers book and started lining up things up ready.  First thing first flour, turned out not bread flour but plain flour. room temperature milk so microwaved mine as have no patience. Also due to various ailments I used my kitchen aid mixer to mix the dough ingredients together and kneading while adding the soft room temperature butter until incorporated. Leaving me with this very gloopy dough. Which I left to rise for an hour until doubled.

 

The Rum Baba moulds required generously buttering and coating with caster sugar so they came out easily when baked. 

Then when the dough was ready I piped into the moulds evenly. Book does say you can spoon the dough in to. I used a silicone dariole mould for the last bit of dough I had and it worked really well along side the others.

 

These were left to prove again so they rose up past the centre bit but not over the outside.  This bit still confuses me as I wasn't sure if they were supposed to have a closed bottom or not?? Anyone else know?

Then into the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and firm to the touch, mine seemed a bit to dark at the 20 minute mark but didn't taste burnt at all :o)

 

Then while the babas are cooking I got to open the Malibu and fill the kitchen with the tropical cheerful warm smell of coconut rum while boiling it up with sugar and water.

After the babas came out the oven and had cooled a few minutes I transferred them to a shallow dish and poured half the still warm syrup on them.  When this was absorbed I turned them over and poured the rest of the syrup over.  After about an hour or so ( we went for a walk) it was time to get creative with the presentation.  First off made a Chantilly cream with double cream, vanilla pod seeds and icing sugar whisked up.  We had a few strawberries growing in garden and a ripe mango to slice.  

Luke decided to help with piping and decorating and I shared one with Luke and 3 lucky teen aged boys ate the other 3 :o) 

 

Sprinkle of icing sugar was all that was left. These were lovely. But for me they were way to big and rich to eat a whole one, the boys managed to and were very impressed so it may just be me. 

All in all they did take a few hours but what was done didn't take that much effort and only in short bursts.  I am sure at some point I will be making these to impress some lucky person/people.