Orange Savarin Food

SAVARIN

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat 6 tablespoons of milk and 2 tablespoons water until just slightly warm. Pour into a bowl with 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar, whisk to dissolve. Add 1/4 ounce of fresh yeast and whisk to break up and dissolve the yeast. Pour into a standing mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Turn on low, add 5 tablespoons melted butter. Add the flour and salt and mix just until it comes together. Raise the speed to medium, add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until it becomes elastic and smooth. Turn dough into a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let it rest and proof for 10 minutes. Punch down and allow to rise another 5 minutes. The dough should not proof too long, or the savarins will become crumbly.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Butter each savarin ring. Using your finger, schmear baba dough in the ring to fill it up half way, using about 1 ounce of dough. It will stick to your fingers, but don't dip your fingers in flour to prevent this. Let the dough rise until it reaches the top of the ring, about 30 minutes. Bake the savarins for 15 minutes. Let the cool in their rings then turn them out.
• To prepare the syrup, place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Dip the savarins in the syrup then place them in a rectangular pan and drizzle more syrup over them. Cover and let them soak overnight. Add more syrup the next day if they'll absorb it.
• To serve, cut up the strawberries and stir the honey into the creme fraiche. Serve the savarin on a plate with a spoonful of strawberries and a large dollop of honey-creme fraiche. You may put the leftover syrup in a decorative bottle and pour more of it over the dessert as you serve it at the table.

ORANGE SAVARIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tube or bundt pan and dust with flour; set aside. Sift 2 1/4 cups flour with baking soda; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, cream 1 1/2 cups butter until fluffy. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups sugar and mix until light, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and orange zest and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with orange juice, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until smooth.
• Using an electric mixer, in another bowl whisk egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar just until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter.
• Pour batter into pan and bake in center of oven until cake is golden and pulls away from sides of pan, about 1 hour 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. While cake is still hot, brush with brandy, if desired. Cool 10 minutes, then remove from pan.
• To serve, cut into 1-inch slices. Lightly toast slices and serve two to a plate with a dollop of whipped cream and, if desired, a shot of rum to pour over warm cake.

SAVARIN CAKE WITH VANILLA-GRAND MARNIER SYRUP

Steps:

• Warm the water and cream in a medium saucepan over low heat until it is about 100 degrees F. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the liquid. Sprinkle the sugar over the top and let sit without stirring, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add the flour and mix with the paddle at medium speed to make a moist dough. Add the eggs, mixing until combined, 2 minutes. Increase speed to high and beat thoroughly for 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the bowl; add the orange zest and salt. Gradually add the butter while mixing, then beat on high speed to make a stretchy, tacky batter, about 3 minutes.
• Generously butter and flour an 8-inch ring mold. Scoop batter into the mold and smooth over the top with a spatula. Cover loosely with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and set aside in a warm place until batter rises about 3/4 up the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Bake the savarin until golden brown, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool savarin in the pan until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Flip onto a rack to cool.
• Meanwhile make the syrup. Put the water and sugar in a medium sauce pan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds; add both vanilla seeds and pod to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add wine and orange liqueur.
• Place savarin in a lipped serving platter and pour the warm syrup over the top. Turn the savarin over a few times until fully saturated with syrup. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. Spoon the syrup over the cake a couple times while it chills to fully soak the cake.
• When ready to serve if there is more than a pool of syrup on the platter, pour the excess into a bowl or pitcher and serve on the side. Spoon whipped cream into the middle of the savarin, and top with desired fruit. Serve.