Serves 8-10
Ingredients
For the brioche dough:
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
1½ teaspoons active dried yeast
2 large eggs
¼ cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb. (3½ cups) bread flour
For the filling:
1½ cups vanilla custard (store bought or recipe below)
½ cup almond meal
2½ cups fresh Nature’s Partner cherries, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup flaked almonds
Powdered sugar, to dust
Instructions
To make the brioche, melt the butter in a medium pot. Add the milk and heat until lukewarm. Sprinkle the dried yeast over the milk mixture, cover, and set aside for a few minutes to activate yeast. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt in a large bowl to dissolve the sugar. Pour the yeast mixture into the eggs and stir to combine. Add the flour and stir well. Mix with the dough hook attachment of a stand mixer on medium speed for 8 minutes. Alternately, vigorously stir the mixture by hand with a metal spoon for about 10 minutes until it becomes glossy. The finished dough will be very sticky and will not hold together in a ball. Do not add more flour! Loosely cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 8-10 even pieces; roll out into circles ⅓” thick. Transfer to the baking tray. Fold the outer edge (about ½”) in toward the center, creating a rim. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the halved fresh cherries with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and stir to combine. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of almond meal into the center of each brioche, right to the rim. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of vanilla custard on top of each and spread evenly over the almond meal. Divide the cherries over the vanilla custard. Top with a sprinkle of flaked almonds. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar.
Ingredients
Vanilla custard (Creme Patisserie)
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or essence
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup cornstarch
Instructions
In a saucepan, combine the milk, vanilla essence and half the granulated sugar (1/4 cup) and bring to a simmer
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl or stand mixer beat together the remaining half of the granulated sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch until pale and thick.
When the milk has just come to the boil, slowly pour half the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return remaining milk mixture to the heat and return to a boil. Quickly add the egg mixture to the pot of hot milk, whisking constantly. Keep whisking vigorously until it thickens and returns to the boil.
Pour into a bowl and lay a circle of baking paper on top so it does not form a film on the surface.
Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Whisk until smooth before using.
Recipe created for Nature's Partner by The Brick Kitchen.