Preparation time: 25 minutes

Dough to prove: 12 hours

Baking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 7

Ingredients

For Baba dough:

100 ml of milk

1 tbsp of dry yeast

350 gms all-purpose flour

4 eggs

100 gms sugar

180 gms butter

Salt to taste

Baba syrup:

500 ml water

250 gm of sugar

1 star anis

1 inch cinnamon stick

1 tsp of orange blossom water

1 tsp of rose water

Pistachio pastry cream:

500 ml full fat milk

100 gms of cream

2 egg yolks

130 gm of sugar

5 gms vanilla

45 gms corn starch

40 gms butter

70 gms pistachio paste (store-bought)

Vanilla whipped ganache:

275 gms cream 35 per cent (store bought)

305 gms white chocolate

2 vanilla pods

1 gelatine sheet

Method

For Baba dough:

Step 1:

Add all the ingredients in a blender, beginning with all-purpose flour, dry yeast, and sugar.

Step 2:

Slowly add eggs to the mix and then the milk. Once it starts combining, add salted butter to the mix. Now, combine the ingredients well.

You can either use your hands or a blender to mix them into a batter-like consistency. It will take 8 to 9 minutes to combine with the dough.

Step 3:

Pour the batter into two-thirds of the mould and cover it. Keep it at room temperature for 12 hours to allow the dough to rise.

Step 4:

Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. The base is ready to use.

Method: pastry cream

Step 5:

In a bowl, add yolks, sugar, and vanilla, and give it a good stir. Keep it aside.

Step 6:

Add cream and milk to a saucepan, and heat it over a medium flame. Add this mixture to the bowl. Then add butter and pistachio paste. Combine the ingredients well and keep it aside.

Method: syrup

Step 7:

Take water in a saucepan. Add all the ingredients under 'Baba syrup' and bring it to a boil. Let it cool down. Strain the mixture. The syrup is ready to use.

Method: ganache

Step 8:

Place the gelatine sheet in cold water. Keep its aside.

Step 9:

Boil half the cream. Add vanilla, pour over the white chocolate and gelatine, and blend properly.

Step 10:

Add the rest of the cream and blend. Let it rest for 12 hrs in the refrigerator before whipping.

How to assemble:

Cut the pastry (baba) and put it in syrup for about 3 minutes. Turn them several times in the syrup contained in the dish to soak well.

Squeeze out the syrup and keep it aside.

Fill the centre of the babas with pistachio pastry cream.

Put the ganache in a piping bag and pipe the cream over the pastry. You can also use a spoon.

When ready to serve, sprinkle crushed pistachio on the top. Baba au pistache is ready to serve.

Tell us about your favourite dishes or recipes at food@gulfnews.com

Chef Hassan Salam, Special to Gulf News

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Video: Guide to making Baba au Pistache