Babas Au Calvado With Glazed Apple Rings Recipes

BABA AU RHUM

Steps:

• Combine the currants and rum in a small bowl and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush a 5-cup (6 1/2 by 3 1/2-inch) tube pan or kugelhopf mold with the melted butter. Be sure to coat every crevice of the pan. Heat the milk to 115 degrees F and then pour it into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir in the yeast and sugar and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, first add the eggs, then the flour, salt, and remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater to form the dough into a ball. It will be very soft. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Drain the currants, fold them into the dough with a spatula, and spoon into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, cover the pan with a damp towel, and allow to rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and make the Rum Syrup.
• Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then tap it out of the cake pan onto a baking rack set over a sheet pan. Pour all of the Rum Syrup very slowly onto the warm cake, allowing it all to soak in thoroughly. Amazingly, the liquid will be absorbed into the cake, so be sure to use all of the syrup.
• Heat the preserves with 1 tablespoon of water until runny, press it through a sieve, and brush it on the cake. Serve with Whipped Cream piped into the middle of the cake plus an extra bowl on the side.
• Place the sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a 4-cup heat-proof measuring cup and allow to cool. Add the rum and vanilla and set aside.
• Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't overbeat, or you'll end up with butter!

BABA

Steps:

• Prepare Baba:
• Mix all the ingredients without the butter and then beat with a wooden spoon for about 15 minutes. When the dough starts to unstick from the spoon, add the melted butter. Mix.
• Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise. When the volume doubles spread the dough halfway up the 4 buttered moulds. Make sure that the dough is evenly spread and than leave it to rise in a warm area (86 - 95°F). The Baba should slightly overflow the moulds.
• Cook it in the oven for 25 minutes at 392 - 400°F. The cooking time can depend on the size, color, and desired moistness of the Baba. Turn out the Babas as soon as they are cook.
• Make syrup and cream:
• Mix all the syrup ingredients and bring to boiling point. Leave to infuse. Place the Babas in the syrup and leave to soak for about 40 minutes. Verify that they are well soaked, and then place them on a grid to let them drip for about 5 minutes.
• Slice the vanilla pod in two lengthwise and scrape out the grains that will be mixed in with the cream.
• Beat the vanilla grains with the sugar and cream to obtain a Chantilly.
• Put the Baba on a plate and glaze with the apricot coating.
• Serving at the table, cut the Baba in two (lengthwise) and pour on the rum according to you taste. Served it with the Chantilly cream.

APPLE AND CALVADOS TART (GALETTE DE POMMES AU CALVADOS)

Steps:

• Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a rough 16-inch round (1/8 inch thick), then transfer carefully to parchment-lined large baking sheet. Loosely fold in edge of pastry where necessary to fit on baking sheet, then chill, covered loosely with plastic wrap, 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• While pastry is chilling, peel and core apples, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Toss slices with lemon juice and 1/3 cup granulated sugar.
• Put baking sheet with pastry on a work surface and unfold any edges so pastry is flat. Spread applesauce over pastry, leaving a 2-inch border, and top sauce with sliced apples, mounding slightly. Fold edges of dough over filling, partially covering apples (center will not be covered) and pleating dough as necessary. Dot apples with butter, then brush pastry edge lightly with water and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar. Bake galette in middle of oven until pastry is golden and apples are tender, 40 to 45 minutes.
• While galette is baking, melt apple jelly in a very small saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring.
• Slide baked galette on parchment onto a rack, then brush with melted jelly and cool galette until warm or room temperature.
• Beat together cream and confectioners sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until cream just holds soft peaks, then beat in Calvados. Serve galette topped with dollops of Calvados cream.

GLAZED APPLE RINGS

Steps:

• Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook several apple rings at a time in butter, turing once, until golden brown. (Add more butter if necessary.)
• Return all apple rings to skillet. Mix wine, lemon juice, ginger and cinnamon; pour over apples. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or just unitl apples are tender and glazed. Serve warm with whipped cream.

GLAZED APPLE RINGS

Steps:

• Core 2 of the apples and cut them crosswise with a hand-held slicing device into 1/8-inch-thick rings, discarding the ends. Butter a jelly-roll pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter and in it arrange the apple rings in one layer. Pour 1/4 cup of the lemon juice over the apple rings, turn the rings to coat them with the juice, and broil them under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 6 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon of sugar over each ring, broil the rings for 2 minutes more, or until they are glazed and golden, and transfer them to another jelly-roll pan to cool. Make more glazed apple rings in the same manner with the remaining apples, butter, lemon juice, and sugar. The glazed apple rings may be made 3 hours in advance, kept covered loosely at room temperature, and, if desired, reheated, arranged decoratively into 6 clusters of overlapping rings, in a buttered jelly-roll pan in a preheated 350°F. oven for 10 minutes before serving.