Baby Orange Babas Recipes

Steps:

• For the Dutch baby: Place an ovenproof 12-inch skillet in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• In a blender, combine the flour, eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Blend on high to make a smooth batter. Let the batter rest while the oven heats up.
• Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the skillet and add the butter. Let the butter melt and sizzle, then pour in the batter. Return the skillet to the oven.
• Bake the Dutch baby until the edges are puffed and browned and the middle is set, 20 to 25 minutes.
• For the blueberry-orange compote: Meanwhile, zest the orange into a small skillet; squeeze the juice from half of the orange into the skillet. Add the granulated sugar, nutmeg and blueberries. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling the skillet, until the sauce is thick and syrupy and the berries are beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Keep warm.
• Serve the Dutch baby hot, topped with the compote and dusted with confectioners' sugar if desired.

Steps:

• To marinate the fruit: Combine the fruit, sugar, vanilla, mint, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Let the fruit marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
• To prepare the syrup: In a saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar, water, and bourbon, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, remove the pan from the heat, and set aside, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
• To prepare the babas: In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, combing the water, yeast, and sugar and mix just to combine. Let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, flour, orange zest, and butter and mix until elastic but very soft. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, 15 to 20 minutes. Punch the dough down. Spoon the dough into greased muffin tins, filling them one-third to one-half full. Let the dough rise again until doubled in volume, 20 to 30 minutes.
• While the babas are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the babas until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and place on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Prick the tops of the babas with a skewer or fork. Warm the syrup over medium heat. Ladle all of the warm syrup over the babas, letting it soak in.
• To serve: Place the babas on individual plates. Distribute the fruit among the babas, and top with whipped cream. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: Put yeast and sugar in a medium bowl and stir in ¼ cup lukewarm water. Leave for 10 minutes, until mixture is bubbly. Add eggs and salt to the yeast mixture, and whisk together.
• In a medium mixing bowl, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the egg-yeast mixture and drained raisins, and beat with a wooden spoon, mixing well to make a soft, sticky dough. (Alternatively, prepare the dough in a stand mixer.) Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Butter 2 mini-muffin tins or 12 mini ramekins. Uncover dough, dust lightly with flour and turn out onto a clean work surface. Add flour as necessary to make dough manageable and knead lightly to make a large, slightly sticky ball. Cut the dough into 12 pieces of equal size (about 2 ounces/55 grams). Dust each with flour, roll each into a ball and place in muffin tins or ramekins. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the syrup: Put honey, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups/360 milliliters water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla and rum, turn off heat and let syrup cool to room temperature.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake babas until lightly browned on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn babas out of their molds and onto a baking sheet, and return to the oven for 5 minutes to brown all over, as necessary. Remove and cover babas with a clean towel to keep them soft. (Store, cooled, in an airtight container at room temperature if making in advance.)
• About 2 hours before serving, place babas, top-side down, in a deep baking dish. Pour syrup over and let soak. Turn babas over a few times in syrup - they should get quite soggy.
• Prepare the whipped cream: With a whisk, hand-held beaters or in a stand mixer, whip cream to very soft peaks. Add sugar and whip lightly, leaving mixture soft.
• To serve, place one or two babas in a low soup plate. Spoon over a little more syrup, and splash on about a tablespoon of rum. Serve a big spoonful of whipped cream on the side. If desired, garnish with a strip of orange zest, plucked from the syrup.