Babà

Babà is a type of yeast-based pastry that originated in Europe. It is typically soaked in a sugar syrup that is often flavored with rum or other types of liquor. The pastry is known for its distinctive mushroom-like shape, with a "stalk" and a "cap".

History

The babà was first introduced in France by Stanislas Leszczynski, the exiled king of Poland. The king had a fondness for a Polish dessert called a Kugelhopf, but found it too dry. He decided to soak it in a liquor syrup, creating the first babà. The dessert quickly became popular in France and was later brought to Naples, Italy by French cooks. In Naples, the recipe was modified to include rum instead of the traditional Tokaji wine, and the babà as it is known today was born.

Preparation

The dough for a babà is made from flour, yeast, eggs, and butter. The dough is allowed to rise before being baked in a special mold that gives the babà its distinctive shape. After baking, the babà is soaked in a syrup made from sugar, water, and rum. The soaking process makes the babà very moist and gives it a strong, sweet flavor.

Variations

There are several variations of the babà. In some regions, the babà is filled with whipped cream or pastry cream. In others, it is served with a side of fruit preserves. The rum babà is a popular variation that uses rum in the syrup. There is also a version of the babà that is made without yeast, known as the Savarin.

See also

• List of pastries
• List of desserts
• French cuisine
• Italian cuisine