Armagnac babas

Armagnac babas. Photo / Ian Jones

Makes 12 little cakes

150g butter, diced and at room temperature
7g instant dried yeast, diluted in 1 1/2 tbsp warm water
100ml milk
500g plain flour
12g salt
6 eggs
12g caster sugar
500g caster sugar, for the syrup
500ml water
50ml Armagnac liqueur
1/2 cup blanched, sliced almonds, toasted

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 165C 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.