ITALIAN «BABÀ» SPONGE CAKE WITH NUTELLA^®

Procedure:

Put the flours in a bowl with the sugar, the contents of the vanilla pod, and the crumbled yeast. Add the egg and then use an electric kneading machine to mix well until the mixture is smooth and even. Add the butter and salt. Knead again to form a velvety dough.

Leave to rest for about 5 minutes, then use a pastry bag with a smooth nozzle (diameter 1.2cm) to distribute the mixture in the silicone moulds (3.5cm diameter, 4cm high) - 20g of dough in each one.

The dough should reach about ¾ of the height of the mould. Wet your finger and then cut the dough so it doesn't stick and is easier to divide.

Leave to rise at room temperature for about 40 minutes, then bake at 180° for approx. 12 minutes.

Let it cool thoroughly, then cut in half.

Preparing the syrup and the peach sauce:

Rinse the peaches and cut them into 8 segments. Add the sugar, vanilla, salt and lemon juice. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature.

Pour the mixture into a non-stick pan with high sides and cook until the peaches are soft but not mushy.

Take the peaches out of the syrup. Keep three of them to one side for later, then liquidise the rest until you have a creamy sauce. Place the sauce in the fridge.

Dilute the syrup with 80g water and bring to the boil. Remove from the flame immediately. Cut the rum babas in half and place them in the pan of syrup so they're fully immersed. Cover with cling film (actually on top of the babas) and leave at room temperature for about 45 minutes.

Serve 1/2 a rum baba with 40g of peach sauce, 15g Nutella, two little pieces of the cooked peach slices, and 1 crumbled macaroon.