Lemon Babas

For the Lemon Curd:

Using a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then whisk in the sugar and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice and corn starch, then add to the butter mixture. Continue to stir until the mixture thickens (6-8 minutes). Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, let cool to room temperature then chill in the fridge until needed..

For the Babas:

Dissolve the dry yeast in 6 Tbsp warm water. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, dissolved yeast mixture, egg and softened butter. Mix thoroughly with electric egg beaters or a wooden spoon. The mixture will be moist and sticky.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let the dough rise until almost doubled in size (about 1 hour). Punch down the dough after it has finished rising.

To prepare your silicon canele' mold, spray each cup with oil. Spoon the dough into each cup, filling it halfway. Let rise uncovered until the dough has almost doubled in size.

Pre-heat oven to 375 F (190 C). Place the silicon mold on a baking tray and bake for 15-18 minutes until the tops have turned golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove them from the mold to cool completely. These can be made ahead of time and kept frozen or in an air-tight container for several days, until ready to assemble.

To prepare the Syrup:

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens a little (about 5 minutes). Stir in the lemon juice.

To assemble the dessert, dip each Baba into the syrup using tongs. Roll each Baba into the syrup, making sure it is thoroughly soaked through. Transfer the Babas onto a plate. Transfer the Lemon Curd into a piping bag with a medium-sized round or serrated nozzle and insert the nozzle down into the center of each Baba. Pipe enough curd into each one until it starts to peek out the top. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve.