Apple Cider Baba Pop

(This recipe appeared in the Fall 2019 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)

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Perfect for fall menus, the Apple Cider Baba Pop is a unique, sophisticated, and flavorful representation of gourmet pastry on the go. Featuring the wholesome flavor of sweet baked apples as captured in PreGel’s Apple Pie Arabeschi®, the accompanying flavors of meringue, apple brandy, and cookie butter combine to produce a robust medley of pastry excellence – on a stick.

Yield: 30 servings

Baba Dough

• 10 g instant dry yeast, osmotolerant
• 200 g water, 86°F (30°C)
• 312 g whole eggs, room temperature
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 250 g bread flour
• 10 g salt
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 150 g clarified butter, melted but cool
• 25 g PreGel Cinnamon Traditional Paste (#58472)

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the whole eggs with the yeast and water.
3. Combine the flours, salt, and sugar, and add to the mixer bowl with the yeast mixture. Using the paddle attachment, mix the dough on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is completely smooth. Slowly incorporate the melted clarified butter and the PreGel Cinnamon Traditional Paste into the dough and mix again until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes or more.
4. Pipe the dough into the mold and allow the dough to proof in a warm location for 30 minutes.
5. Bake the babas for 12-17 minutes, depending on size, until they are golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven and allow the babas to cool completely before soaking.
7. Trim the bottoms of the babas and allow them to soak in the syrup (recipe below) for at least 10 minutes.
8. Allow excess soak to drip off, and then place on a sheet pan and freeze.
   

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Spiked Cider Soak

• 5 g powdered gelatin (200 bloom)
• 35 g cold water
• 300 g water
• 125 g granulated sugar
• 120 g apple cider
• 30 g PreGel Green Apple Fortefrutto® (#45172)
• 20 g PreGel Cinnamon Traditional Paste (#58472)
• 75 g apple brandy
  

  

1. Hydrate gelatin with the cold water.
2. Heat water, sugar, apple cider, PreGel Green Apple Fortefrutto®, and PreGel Cinnamon Traditional Paste; pour over apple brandy and add hydrated gelatin.
3. Dip babas at 140˚F (60°C).
   

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Streusel

• 24 g Valrhona Ariaga Blanche 30% white chocolate couverture
• 12 g Valrhona Cocoa Butter, melted
• 135 g PreGel CrumbOlé Otto Caramel (Cookie Butter, #65552)

1. Melt the white chocolate and cocoa butter together.
2. Combine with the PreGel CrumbOlé Otto Caramel (Cookie Butter) in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes.
3. Roll the streusel between two Silpats until it is about 2 mm thick. Allow the streusel to chill before cutting disks out.
   

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Meringue

• 300 g granulated sugar
• 250 g water
• 125 g PreGel Five Star Chef Albumissimo (Meringue Powder, #71904)

1. In a mixer fitted with the whip attachment, combine the sugar and water. Whip together to dissolve sugar.
2. Add PreGel Five Star Chef Albumissimo (Meringue Powder) to mixer and whisk by hand to dissolve powder. Whip on medium-high to high speed until mixture reaches full volume.
   

   

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Assembly

• PreGel Five Star Chef Pâte à Glacer Blanc (White Chocolate Flavored Coating, #35112)
• PreGel Apple Pie Arabeschi^®

1. Soak the babas and drain completely.
2. Stick the streusel disk onto the baba with some of the PreGel Five Star Chef Pâte à Glacer Blanc (White Chocolate Flavored Coating, #35112).
3. Fill the center of the Baba with PreGel Apple Pie Arabeschi^®.
4. Dip a pop stick into PreGel Five Star Chef Pâte à Glacer Blanc and then insert it into the baba. Allow it to freeze completely before dipping the Baba into the Meringue and toasting slightly.