Baba al Limoncello
From our Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast tour...Limoncello is a made all over Italy wherever lemons are grown, but the best limoncello comes from the Amalfi Coast area of southern Italy. The lemon groves are terraced on the steep mountainsides overlooking the Mediterranean and produce a larger and sweeter lemon. Limoncello is an after-dinner liqueur, but is also used in various desserts. For centuries the Amalfitanas have made Baba, a small sweet cake made with yeast, and paired it with various toppings such as cream and limoncello.
- ½ Cup Milk
- 1 Envelope active dry yeast or 1 ¾ teaspoons instant yeast
- ¾ Cup all-purpose Flour
- 3 Eggs
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 ½ Cups all-purpose Flour
- 8 Tablespoons Butter, melted and cooled
- Limoncello Syrup - see recipe below
- Limoncello Glaze - see recipe below
- Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish
For the sponge, heat ½ Cup Milk to lukewarm; sprinkle the yeast on the surface and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth and slowly stir in ¾ Cup Flour. Cover the sponge and let ferment for 20 minutes. Butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray regular or miniature muffin cups.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, salt, sugar, and flour together (beat flour in very slowly); beat in the prepared sponge, and then the cooled melted butter. Divide the dough into the muffin cups, fill ½ full. Cover the pans loosely with buttered (or spray) plastic wrap; allow to rise in a warm spot approximately 30 to 60 minutes or until dough has risen to the top of the cups. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. NOTE: At this stage, you can put the molds in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight until you’re ready to proceed.
When the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and bake for approx. 10-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly in the pan for 1 minute on a rack.
Using your fingers, one at a time, remove individual babas from muffin cups and submerge each baba in warm limoncello syrup for approximately 1 minute or until they swell slightly. Then place the dipped baba in a large baking dish or pan (tops up). After dipping all the babas, pour any leftover syrup over the top of the cakes. Allow them to stand 1 hour (all syrup will be absorbed). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours. Before serving, brush tops of cakes with warm Limoncello Glaze. Serve with whipped sweetened cream.
NOTE: After Babas are baked, soaked and cooled they can be wrapped in freezer container and frozen. To serve, let stand at room temperature 1 hour; then warm in 300 degree oven for 15 minutes. Top with warm Limoncello Glaze and serve.
Makes 24 regular sized Babas – the number is going to depend on how much you fill the muffin cup.
Limoncello Syrup
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 3 Cups Water
- ½ Cup Limoncello (or more to taste)
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, mix water and sugar together; bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour syrup into a 2-cup liquid measure (because it’s narrow and deep, it’s easy to dip the babas into). Cool syrup to lukewarm; stir in Limoncello. If made in advance, syrup will keep for 6 months.
Makes about 2 ½ Cups.
Limoncello Glaze
- 12-ounce Jar Apricot Jam
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Limoncello
In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat approximately 2/3 of a 12oz jar of apricot jam until melted. Pour hot, lumpy jam through sieve (pushing on pulp with spatula if needed). Add Limoncello to taste. If made in advance, glaze will keep for 6 months
Makes about ½ Cup