Baba al Rum with Amerena Cherries and Saffron Pastry Cream
Pastry Chef Amber Renberg of blu – Boston, MA
Adapted by StarChefs

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

Rum Syrup
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup dark rum

Baba al Rum
• 3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 3/4 teaspoon dry active yeast
• ~1/2 cup warm water
• 5 large eggs
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 ounces amerena cherries (found in Italian specialty food stores)

Saffron Pastry Cream
• 1 ½ cup milk
• 2 ounces granulated sugar
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 1 pinch saffron (saffron is very potent...use only a few strands)
• ¾ ounce corn starch
• ¼ cup egg yolks

Method:

For the rum syrup:
Combine sugar and water in small sauce pot. Heat mixture over high heat. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil remove from heat and add the rum.

For the Baba al Rum:
In small bowl whisk 3 of the eggs with the yeast until combined. Sift the flour into the bowl of a standing mixer and make a well in the middle. Place the egg and yeast mixture in the well of the flour. Using a dough hook, mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined. (The mixture will be very dry and lumpy.) With the machine running add the remaining two eggs. At this point the mixture will still be lumpy and dry.

Add the water three tablespoons at a time and mix until the dough has come together. Do not be alarmed, it will still be very lumpy, but all the flour should be incorporated. If there is still a little dry flour in the bottom of the bowl, add a little more water. Use one tablespoon of butter to grease a medium sized bowl and place dough in it. Cover and allow to double in size. Return dough to mixer. With the machine running, add the sugar and salt. Knead with dough hook on medium speed for about 7 minutes. The dough should be smooth. Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time until it has been completely incorporated.

Preheat oven to 375°. Fill baba mold or muffin tins to the halfway point with dough. Allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes. Bake at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Unmold five minutes after removing from oven and submerge in hot rum syrup. Allow them to soak in the syrup until completely saturated, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

For the saffron pastry cream:
Combine 1 cup of the milk with the sugar, butter, and saffron in a small sauce pot and bring to boil over high heat.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup milk with the corn starch and egg yolks. Whisk together until smooth.

Slowly pour the boiling milk mixture into the yolk mixture while constantly stirring with a whisk. Transfer the entire mixture back to the pot. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until thick and bubbly. This should take 3 –5 minutes.

Immediately remove the cream from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve or chinois into a shallow storage container. Place plastic wrap directly on surface so cream is completely sealed. Allow the cream to cool to room temperature.