Here Manna House share their recipe for Savarins – but if all else fails get along to Easter Road and buy some there!
As we continue to celebrate all that is the Fringe, with its many nationalities represented in comedy, song, dance and sketch, here is something delicious from Manna House Bakery in Easter Road, to enjoy as you are out and about attending shows.
Their fabulous Savarins, with apricot syrup and Chantilly cream, are just one of a number of global patisserie products made daily on the premises, along with delicious lunch and breakfast options. Typically French, Savarins can have Romanian or Russian versions too, so are a very eclectic cake which matches this time of year when Edinburgh comes alive with diversity!
Invented by Parisian pâtissier Auguste Julien in 1845, and basically a rum baba baked in a circular (ring) pan, the Savarin is named in honour of Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), a French politician, lawyer and gastronome, who also has a cheese named after him.
Many people ask what is the difference Between a Baba and a Savarin? It’s the pan it’s baked in and how it is presented, with a baba typically featuring currants or other dried fruits in the dough, whilst a savarin doesn’t have this element, but is served with sweetened whipped cream. Enjoy!
To make 16:
Savarin dough:
200g all-purpose flour
2g salt
25g white sugar
100g butter, room temperature
200g whole eggs
10g fresh yeast
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
Syrup:
150 grams sugar
300 ml water
50 ml rum
one lemon peel
30 ml lemon juice
one orange peel
50 ml orange fresh juice juice
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
2 pieces of cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Apricot Nappage:
200 g Apricot jam
30 ml water
2 g gelatine
Chantilly cream:
300 g cream
50 g icing sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 vanilla pod
Savarin dough:
Combine the flour, salt, sugar, butter, and eggs in the bowl of your stand mixer.
Begin kneading with the dough hook until well combined then continue mixing on low speed for 8 minutes.
Add the butter, a bit at a time, mixing until incorporated.
Add the fresh yeast, lemon zest, and orange zest and continue mixing for a few more minutes on low to medium speed until the yeast is well mixed in.
When properly kneaded, turn the mixer off and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
Transfer the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large round nozzle and pipe it into your prepared pans. We suggest 16 mini bundt cakes which I greased with butter before use.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1½ hours or until more than double in volume.
When proofed enough, place in the preheated oven at 200C and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to cool down slightly in the pan then remove and place on a wire rack to chill.
Syrup:
in a medium saucepan pour the water and place it in a medium heat. Let it take a little temperature, but not boiling.
Add the sugar together with the citrus peels, vanilla, and the other ingredients without the rum. Let it boil, reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat, pour the rum and let it infuse.
Apricot nappage:
Moisturize the gelatin sheets in very cold water (from the fridge), let them stand submerged for 10 minutes.
In a saucepan add the apricot jam. Place it in medium heat and let it reach 122º-131ºF (50º-55ºC).
Remove from the heat.
Drain the gelatine very well and add it to the jam. Mix to dissolve completely.
Let the mixture lower its temperature to 113ºF (45ºC) and brush the surface of the babas.
Chantilly:
Pour heavy cream into freeze bowl and beat with an electric mixer into slow speed.
Once the cream is becoming to form stiff peaks, add sugar little by little stirring the whole time. Increase speed gradually but without reaches high one. Ideally, use medium speed.
Before finish to beat the cream, add vanilla extract, lemon juice and beat until getting a perfect whipping cream. Be sure not to over-beat, otherwise cream will become lumpy and butter-like.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until used it.
Strain the syrup to remove the citrus peels and pour into a bowl.
Dip the baba in the syrup, we will help them to submerge by pressing them gently. They must absorb enough syrup, in fact, you’ll notice by their weight.
Place on a rack and dip the following.
Let them cool completely.
Decorate with Chantilly and brush them with nappage
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