So I tried making Glenn Mitchell's kugelhopf recipe out of Maggie Glezer's "Artisan Baking across America" book. I masacrated the raisins in rum for 6 hours as directed, but after baking, there was no rum flavor in the cake whatsoever. The raisins tasted like... raisins. Where did I go wrong?
did you heat up the rum? the raisins soak up a lot more warm liquid than cold liquid.
in 80 proof or any rum upwards from 40% alcohol. That seems to burn the rum flavor into fruit even when the alcohol evaporates. Also older dryer raisins tend to soak up more rum.
Have you tried cherry rum? It's even better!
I just witnessed Mil removing 1/4 kg plump juicy aromatic raisins (for stollen) and restocking her tipsy raisin jar so they're well flavored for the next bake.
I'd keep the bottle of rum nearby. Butter a slice of bread, then take a bite of bread, sip of rum, then another bite of bread, another sip of rum, etc.
You'll get good rum flavor this way.
N.B.: Beer, wine, or other liquor may be subsituted for rum with excellent results.