Monday, December 20, 2010

Dessert Blitz: This one’s for you, Dianne

In a few weeks’ time, I will be back in New York. I, of course, have mixed feelings about this. But one thing is for sure: I have a lot of sweets to get through. Today…

Baba au Rhum from Stohrer


The first time I tried Baba au Rhum was at Bistro Paul Bert, where they serve a bottle of rum alongside the boozy dessert, just in case the spongy cake isn’t infused with enough alcohol. (It was, but that didn’t stop me from dousing my cake with more rum).

At Stohrer, they don’t send you off with a bottle, but you don’t need it either. The fine cake heavy with rum dessert, sticky with sugar and oozes liquid when you bite into it. In fact, I wondered, maybe a little bit tipsy, is it a dessert or digestif?

Nicolas Stohrer is said to have invented this dessert when he splashed a dry Polish brioche with sweet Malaga wine at exiled King Stanislas’ request. The creation was then baptized the Ali Baba as the King was reading Tales from 1001 Arabian Nights at the time.


Stohrer’s Baba au Rhum recipe is unchanged today and, grace á Dianne, I've now sampled another Parisian classic. Merci, Dianne!

Tell me if there’s anything you want to sample vicariously through me… it would be a honor. And my pleasure.

3 comments:

Anna's Table said...

I'm convinced that your blog should have a warning posted. The sweets you post are absolutely divine, food porn at its best. It's so unfair to be tortured this way. Short of taking a trip to France, we will have to continue to vicariously travel and saveur each morsel through your wonderful photos. Happy holidays!

Parisbreakfasts said...

I hsve yet to break down and taste this...
Looks too sweet to me :(
signed,
Ms. Grumpy

Dianne said...

Wow!! Thank you ~ I feel like I've been on a trip to Stohrer's & all I can say is YUM !!!! it's decadent & syrupy & yes I would lick the plate.
Viva La Baba au Rhum !
xx
Dianne