Babas Au Calvado With Glazed Apple Rings

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the babas:  Butter eight 1/3-cup ring molds. In the bowl of an
electric mixer  proof the yeast with the sugar in the milk for 5
minutes, or until  the mixture is foamy. Stir in 1/4 cup of the flour,
stir the mixture  until it is smooth, and let the sponge rise, covered,
in a warm place  for 20 minutes, or until it is double in bulk. In a
small bowl whisk  together lightly the egg and the salt. To the yeast
mixture add the  remaining 1/2 cup flour in 2 batches alternately with
the egg  mixture, beating well after each addition. Beat in the butter,
1  piece at a time, beating well after each addition, and the cinnamon
and beat the dough, scraping down the side of the bowl, for 3  minutes.
(The dough will be very soft.) Divide the dough among the  prepared
ring molds set in a jelly-roll pan, let the babas rise,  uncovered, for
15 minutes, or until they are just even with the tops  of the molds,
and bake even with the tops of the molds, and bake them  in the middle
of preheated 375F. oven for 15 minutes, or until they  are golden.
Transf er the babas in the molds to a rack set over  another jelly-roll
pan and let them cool for 10 minutes, or until  they are only warm.
Make the syrup while the babas are cooling:  In a small saucepan
combine the sugar and the water, bring the  mixture to a boil, stirring
until the sugar is dissolved, and simmer  the syrup for 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the  Calvados.  Make the
glaze:  In a small saucepan combine the jelly, the Calvados, and the
sugar,  bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer it, stirring, for 2
minutes.  Run a thin, sharp knife around the center and side of each
mold and  invert the babas onto the rack. Reserve 1/2 cup of the syrup
in a  measuring cup, spoon the remaining syrup, heated to warm, over
the  babas, reusing the syrup that drips into the pan, until it is all
absorbed, and let the babas stand for 15 minutes. The babas may be
prepared up to this point 1 day in advance, kept on the rack set over
the jelly-roll pan, and covered with foil.  Brush the glaze, heated to
warm, carefully over the babas. The babas  may be glazed 1 hour in
advance.  Reserve 6 to 8 small apple rings. Arrange the remaining apple
rings  decoratively in overlapping rings on each of 6 to 8 plates, top
them  with the babas, and garnish each baba with a spoonful of the
creeme  fraiche. Fold the reserved apple rings in half and roll the
halves  into cones to resemble flower buds. Garnish each baba with an
apple-ring "bud" and drizzle some of the reserved syrup around it.
Serves 6 to 8.  Gourmet October 1992  Converted by MC_Buster.
Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
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Calories: 1768
Calories From Fat: 358
Total Fat: 40.7g
Cholesterol: 277.6mg
Sodium: 768.5mg
Potassium: 251.8mg
Carbohydrates: 338.1g
Fiber: 4.9g
Sugar: 176.4g
Protein: 18.8g