Baba au Rhum: Why am I not getting a good rum flavor?
I've been wanting to make these for years after having some really good ones in Paris. Now I'm finding these are hard to duplicate!
I find I'm not getting enough rum flavor. There is definitely sweetness from the syrup, and a bit of orange from the orange zest, but I can't add more rum to the syrup because there is already a cup for the syrup made with 2 c water and 1-1/4 c sugar. I tasted a sample dipping of the baba and it actually gave me a buzz! (Granted, I am sensitive to alcohol.) I read a thread about alcohol and how to burn it off, so I put the syrup in a wide pan and boiled for 5 minutes or so. None of the recipes I looked at (and there were many!) said anything about using rum extract but I wonder if that's a possibility.
I don't know much about brands of rum, but I am using Whalers Dark Rum.
Does anyone have experience making baba au rhum, and if so, with what results? How can I get a more intense rum flavor? Has anyone making these ever used rum extract?
Best Answer
Mmmmmm- I loves me a good Rum Baba! I'd personally go with Myer's dark rum. In my experiences I've found Myer's Dark to have the best/ most intense rum flavor out there (yes, it's a little expensive). I think boiling the alcohol off would heat the rum to a point where you're going to alter the delicious rum-ness! Heating the rum a little and then igniting the alcohol vapor would suffice to eliminate the alcohol without disturbing the other flavors. Just be careful and if things take a turn for the worst- stop, drop, and roll!
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What is the texture of rum baba?
Neapolitan rum baba is a soft, moist dessert with a markedly alcoholic taste, which can be decorated with whipped cream, custard and fresh fruit. With a melting texture and an irresistible flavor, you can find it in any Italian pastry shop and serve it whenever you want.How do you eat baba au rhum?
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.How long can you keep rum babas?
Storing: Unsoaked, the babas can be kept uncovered at room temperature for a day; if they are soaked, you can cover them and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. The syrup is a good keeper: Stow in the fridge for up to 1 week.Does baba au rhum contain alcohol?
Known as Baba au Rhum in French, it is a pastry filled with whipped cream or pastry cream, soaked in hard liquor syrup. Exactly as it is served in the Middle East, this baba recipe does not contain alcohol and is smothered in whipped cream.Rum Babas a recipe from the chef Agostino Iacobucci
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Answer 2
Last time I did a syrup with equal parts sugar and water -- btw crucial in my opinion not to destroy the baba, since a liquid would basically have the same effect as dipping the baba in your tea. That syrup contained 15% rum, a not so expensive supermarket one with 40% alcohol, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon and star anice.
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