ABAS AU LOUIES
Modeled after the classic babas au rhum, babas au Louies received its somewhat comical name after a short deliberation about whether or not we felt it was serious enough for the restaurant. Mercifully we came to our senses and determined that fun is just as important as seriousness.
If you like, you can make the mango butter ahead of time and rewarm it over barely simmering water just before serving.
Serves 12
2 packages active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature Warm water
l3/4 cups all-purpose flour % teaspoon salt
SYRUP
% l/2
cups water cup sugar
cup passion fruit or mango liqueur
MANGO BUTTER
1 mango
V2 cup simple (sugar) syrup
Ч2 cup clarified butter
Ч2 medium mango, cut into chunks Pouring Cream (page 280) made with l'/г cups heavy cream, V/2 teaspoons confectioner's sugar, and % teaspoon flavoring
3 tablespoons passion fruit or mango liqueur
4 tablespoons (Ч2 stick) softened butter
1. 1. Butter a muffin pan. Set aside. Combine yeast, sugar, and salt with xh cup warm water in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until bubbly.
2. Using the paddle attachment, set the mixer on low speed and add the flour all at once. With the machine on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, allowing for total incorporation after each egg.
3. Add warm water a tablespoon at a time until the dough is runny and elastic. It will take 4 or 5 tablespoons. Drizzle the clarified butter into the dough. Continue beating until all the butter is absorbed. The dough will be very liquid.
4. Pour the dough into a bowl, cover the bowl loosely with a tea towel, and allow dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk. (Be careful not to put the bowl in too warm a place or the butter will separate from the dough.)
5. When dough has doubled, stir it down with a wooden spoon and mix in the mango chunks. Spoon the dough into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup just over half fiiD. Allow to rise at room temperature to within lA inch of the top of the pan. While it is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
6. Butter the bottom of a cookie sheet and place on top of babas. (This will create a flat "bottom.") Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until babas are nicely browned and just spring back when touched in the center.
7. While the babas are baking, make the syrup by combining all ingredients and simmering gently until the sugar has dissolved.
8. Remove baked babas from the oven and pierce them several times with a fork before taking them out of the pan.
9. Remove babas from pan and arrange them in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, pierced side down. Pour syrup over babas. Allow to sit 20 minutes and absorb syrup.
10. While babas are soaking, or earlier if you prefer, make mango butter: Peel the mango and remove the flesh from the pit over a bowl. Puree mango in a food processor using the steel blade.
11. Transfer the pureed mango to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add simple syrup and liqueur. Heat slowly to a low simmer. Using a whisk, stir in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. When butter is incorporated, remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.
1. 12. Serve babas warm or at room temperature with pouring cream and mango butter.