Babà al rum are delicious sponge cakes soaked in a sticky, citrus-scented boozy syrup. Although Italians often link babà with the city of Naples, this much-loved dessert actually originated in the eighteenth century in Central Europe, namely in the Duchy of Lorraine. There, former King of Poland Stanislas Leszczynski, who had married the daughter of Louis XV, King of France, had the genius idea of soaking a dried out kugelhopf (a traditional cake from the area) in liqueur. The soaked cake was so well-received that, a few years later, in Paris, the court’s pastry chef Nicholas Stohrer modified it to produced what is now known as the modern babà au rum.

Babà was brought to Southern Italy in the nineteenth century by the monsù – chefs who had trained in France and worked in the kitchens of the well-off families of Naples. Soon enough, these deliciously sticky brioche buns became a local speciality. Despite their rather aristocratic origins, babà are now a very “democratic” sweet, present on Neapolitan tables at every special occasion and at all times of the year.

Usually baked in individual moulds, babà can also be done in a bundt pan and served in slices. Either way, they are finished with a generous dose of citrusy, rum-spiked simple syrup and a brushing of apricot jam for shine and extra stickiness. Want to make it even more Neapolitan? Swap the rum for limoncello.

i suggest landing in paris, spending a few days there, and then going to either the loire valley, say if you are with a lady friend and looking to eat well and drink fantastic wine and lay low (valley of the kings, where the french kings used to summer); or make your way south to the mediterranean near the french and spanish border and eat incredible seafood and still drink incredible wine and enjoy the beach

Yea i really dont have a desire to spend much time in Paris, to be honest. I'd go one just to see what i need to but i figure 2 days is all i need.

My GF is Scottish and her dad has a condo in Calpe, Spain. Thats more my style.

A few of my friends who run restaurants here in Vail go to the french countryside for company vacations every couple years.

Im into that.

coffee

egg nog

prayers to your flatulence.