Armagnac babas

Ingredients

150 g	Butter, diced and at room temperature
100 ml	Milk
7 g	Active dried yeast, diluted in 1 1/2 tbsp warm water
500 g	Standard flour
12 g	Salt
6	Eggs
12 g	Caster sugar
500 g	Caster sugar, for the syrup
500 ml	Water
50 ml	Armagnac liqueur (Main)
½ cup	Blanched almonds, sliced & toasted

Directions

1. Put the yeast liquid, two tablespoons of the milk, the flour and salt in a cake mixer with a dough hook. Add the eggs one by one, mixing for six minutes. Slowly add the rest of the milk, the first quantity of sugar and the butter. The dough should be elastic.
2. Cover with cling-film and allow to prove for 15 minutes in a warm area. Knock the dough back and divide into 12 balls. Place these into greased and floured moulds and allow them to prove for 40 minutes, until almost doubled in size. Bake in a preheated 165 degC oven for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the second quantity of sugar and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil, simmer for three minutes, then add the Armagnac and pour into a deep-sided tray. Rotate the turned-out cakes through the syrup until evenly soaked. Roll through the almonds and serve with vanilla icecream.