1. In a small bowl, add raisins. Cover with warm water and rum. Soak for at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Warm water to 110- 115 degrees F. Sprinkle on yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Allow to proof for 15 minutes.

3. Make pastry dough with a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. In the bowl of stand mixer, add flour, salt, and sugar. Give it a mix.

4. Then add egg, milk, vanilla, and yeast mixture. Knead on medium speed for 5 minutes.

5. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing to incporporate after each addition. Then turn mixer to medium high and mix for 10 more minutes, until smooth and elastic.

   Remove dough to a buttered bowl and allow to slow rise in the fridge overnight.

Pastry Cream

1. Make pastry cream. Put half of milk, salt, and sugar into a small saucepan set over medium low heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together cornstarch with remaining milk. 

2. Once the milk heats and before it reaches a simmer, temper it into the egg mixture. Whisk constantly while pouring a pencil thin stream of the hot liquid into eggs. 

3. Put whole mixture back into saucepan on medium low heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens to custard texture, about 7 minutes. Whisk in butter until smooth. T

4. hen remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and optional rum. Pour into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pushing it against the custard to prevent a film. Chill until ready to use. 

Assembly

1. Prepare your butter block. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. Set the dry butter down and sprinkle flour on top. Then cover with a second piece of parchment. Tap with a rolling pin until you get a square of 8 x 8. Trim if needed and put the butter bits back into block. Chill while you roll dough. 

2. Flour a surface. Roll dough into a rectangle of 9 x 13 inches. Place butter block in center. Then bring up bottom third and cover with remaining dough, like a letter. 

3. Roll and then fold again. Chill 30 minutes. Repeat this 3 more times. 

4. Drain raisins. Then roll out into final rectangle. Spread with creme patisserie and sprinkle on the raisins. 

5. Then start at short end of rectangle and tightly roll into a log. Slice into 10 spirals. 

6. Place onto baking sheets lined with parchment. Let them rise while the oven preheats. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

7. Brush the spirals with egg wash. Sprinkle on raw sugar, if desired. Bake pain aux raisins for 20-25 minutes. 

8. Make Glaze. In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine all ingredients except for the rum and vanilla extract.

9. Once it comes to a low boil stir it constantly for 2 minutes.

10. Brush hot glaze over pain aux raisins. It will creep into all those layers and crevices!