Easy Almond Brioche for a Special Valentine's Day Breakfast
..Today is Valentine's Day - a special day set aside each year honoring love and lovers. A heart pierced by Cupid's arrow is a traditional symbol of Valentine's Day. The heart symbolizes love, and giving someone a heart symbolizes bestowing your love to that person. A heart pierced by a Cupid's arrow signifies the fragility of love and the risk that one takes of being rejected. Some also believe that the heart and arrow symbolizes the uniting of a man and woman.
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Centuries ago, people didn't know that the heart was what pumped blood through the body's circulatory system. However, they did know that the heart beats faster when a person is excited or upset. For this reason, it was believed that the heart was the center of our feelings. Thus, the heart become the quintessential symbol of love.
Centuries ago, people didn't know that the heart was what pumped blood through the body's circulatory system. However, they did know that the heart beats faster when a person is excited or upset. For this reason, it was believed that the heart was the center of our feelings. Thus, the heart become the quintessential symbol of love.
In commemoration of Valentine's Day, Zorra of Kochtopf is hosting a special blogging event, A Heart for Your Valentine. She has challenged all of us to romance the special person in our lives with a homemade "edible heart". Deciding what to make was tough. Valentine's Day is all about chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. I'm married to a man who doesn't like chocolate. Not only that, he doesn't really care much for sweets at all, so coming up with an "edible heart" that he would enjoy was a challenge all on its own. What would be the point of making a special edible Valentine for someone if they won't eat it?
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..I still had a huge hunk of brioche dough leftover from my attempt at making doughnuts, taking up space in the fridge, so I thought I would do something with that. I consulted the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day cookbook again and found a recipe for Almond Brioche. Mr. SGCC loves bread, and brioche is a form of bread. That sounded great to me. I have a heart-shaped cake pan insert, so I thought I would try to bake the brioche inside the heart and see what happened.
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Things got a little scary for a while, when the brioche was baking. The dough kept getting higher and higher, bursting out over the top of the pan. I also had to bake it about 10-15 minutes longer than the recipe specified to get it cooked all the way through. I unmolded it and, lo and behold, it looked like a heart. It worked! I had a beautiful, crusty, buttery, almondy heart-shaped brioche! And let me tell you, It. Was. Fabulous! Honestly, it was one of the most delicious things I ever baked. The brioche was soft and moist on the inside, while the sugar and almonds on the top crust had gotten all crunchy and carmelized. It reminded me of those heavenly almond croissants that I've had in Paris. Really! You must try this one. Even though it looks and tastes like it took all day, it is very easy to make and was ready in just a few hours.
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Things got a little scary for a while, when the brioche was baking. The dough kept getting higher and higher, bursting out over the top of the pan. I also had to bake it about 10-15 minutes longer than the recipe specified to get it cooked all the way through. I unmolded it and, lo and behold, it looked like a heart. It worked! I had a beautiful, crusty, buttery, almondy heart-shaped brioche! And let me tell you, It. Was. Fabulous! Honestly, it was one of the most delicious things I ever baked. The brioche was soft and moist on the inside, while the sugar and almonds on the top crust had gotten all crunchy and carmelized. It reminded me of those heavenly almond croissants that I've had in Paris. Really! You must try this one. Even though it looks and tastes like it took all day, it is very easy to make and was ready in just a few hours.
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..Needless to say, Mr. SGCC loved it when I served it with his coffee this morning. And now, he has all day to pick me up a sparkly little something to thank me!
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Happy Valentines Day!
Happy Valentines Day!
Almond Brioche
Adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
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1 1/2 pounds Brioche dough (recipe here)
1 1/2 pounds Brioche dough (recipe here)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup of almond paste
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/4 tsp. orange-flower water
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup sugar, plus more for dusting the pan
Zest from half an orange
1/2 cup sliced natural almonds
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Making the almond cream:
Making the almond cream:
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Cream together the butter, almond paste, flour, egg, orange-flower water and almond extract in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.
Cream together the butter, almond paste, flour, egg, orange-flower water and almond extract in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.
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Assembling the brioche:
Assembling the brioche:
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Dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off a cantaloupe-sized piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go.
Dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off a cantaloupe-sized piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go.
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Roll the dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Use just enough flour to prevent it from sticking.
Roll the dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Use just enough flour to prevent it from sticking.
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Spread the almond cream evenly all over the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Roll up the dough, jellroll-style starting at the long end, and being sure to seal the bare edges. Chill the roll in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
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Generously grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter. Sprinkle the pan with a dusting of granulated sugar.
Generously grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter. Sprinkle the pan with a dusting of granulated sugar.
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**I used a heart-shaped insert, which I also greased and sugared and placed it inside of the cake pan.
**I used a heart-shaped insert, which I also greased and sugared and placed it inside of the cake pan.
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Cut the chilled dough into 8 equal pieces. Place them in the prepared pan with the swirled egde facing up. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.
Cut the chilled dough into 8 equal pieces. Place them in the prepared pan with the swirled egde facing up. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
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Mix the sugar, orange zest and almonds together and sprinkle over the brioche. Bake without steam until golden brown and set in the center, about 40 minutes.
Mix the sugar, orange zest and almonds together and sprinkle over the brioche. Bake without steam until golden brown and set in the center, about 40 minutes.
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Run a knife around the inside of the pan to release the brioche and invert it into a serving dish. Eat warm.
Run a knife around the inside of the pan to release the brioche and invert it into a serving dish. Eat warm.
Enjoy!
Comments
What a challenge it must be to bake for your husband. I would force him to eat whatever I made.
Lyb- It really is a great and easy recipe. I've used other brioche recipes before and this one was the best.
Emiline- Lol! You can't force him to do anything! He is usually very appreciative when I make something he likes, though.
Thank you for your participation. I I hope you passed a wonderful Valentine's Day, and your husband brought you a sparkly little something.
I have been to Jupiter several times. My husband and I considered moving there years ago, but I grew up here in Sarasota so we stayed here. He is from Daytona Beach.
You'll enjoy the DB group. They are a great bunch!
Zorra- Thank you! I'm glad you liked the brioche. You definitely must try it. With the almond filling, it is awesome!
Patricia- I love almonds on everything too. I highly recommend this brioche. We enjoyed it very much.
Veron- Thank you, thank you! That is high praise. I've seen your beautiful work.
Brilynn- Stop torturing yourself! Get the book!
You're now tagged for the meme!
Please go to my post below for the rules and I hope you have fun!
Thanks for playing :)
http://www.thefeastwithin.com/2008/02/16/ive-been-tagged-5-facts-meme/
xoxo
Gabi
I'm jealous, i want some for breakfast! :-)
The brioche looks mouth watering. A couple of things are vague though. The ingredients list calls for 1.5 lbs dough. The instructions say that this should be cut into a cantaloupe sized ball. So is the weight of the dough actually used less than 1.5lbs?
Also in the intro you say you had to bake it for around 15mins more. Is the time in the instructions(40mins) inclusive of this extra 15 mins?
Michelle- Go for it. This recipe is much easier than a traditional brioche. Having the pre-made dough cuts the time way down.
Gabi- Thanks! Now I just have to think of something interesting to say! ;)
Zen Chef- Thank you! My daughter polished off the last of it this morning. Next time I make it, I'll save you a piece. ;)
Obsessive- Thanks. I'm glad you found me. Chocolate chips would be nice too. The Artisan bread cookbook also has a recipe for chocolate filled brioche.
Anonymous- The master recipe for the brioche dough is supposed to make 4 one pound loaves. I think that when they say to use a cantaloupe-sized ball, they are estimating what a 1 1/2 pound ball would look like, since it might be hard for some to measure exactly. It isn't really a very scientific way to do it, but I don't think a little more or less will affect the outcome. I can't say for certain if my ball of dough was exacty 1 1/2 pounds.
I had to bake mine longer because I used the heart insert and it was smaller in circumferance than a regular round cake pan. My brioche baked narrower and thus, up higher. I had to bake it longer for the center to cook through.
The recipe I provided was as written in the cookbook, except for my added note. The recommended baking time is 40 minutes. I baked mine 15 minutes on top of that. If you use a regular pan, 40 minutes should be right. Sorry about the confusion!
Cakelaw- Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. This was a moist and slightly sweet bread. The almond really gave it a nice flavor. It would be really good with your morning coffee or tea.
I just went to a market up North of you today...Sweetwater's Sunday Market. I will post about it tomorrow so check it out. I got some fresh duck eggs that were amazing in egg drop soup!!!
Tartelette- It is probably the easiest brioche you will ever make. You must try a few things from this book. I'm really loving it.
Your brioche looks oh-so delicious and I just love the *heart* shape!
BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL!
The dough is so easy to make and so easy to work with and delicious!!! It is now a part of my regular continental breakfast menu. I cut it into slices and leave it whole to act as a centerpiece surrounded by croissants and pan au chocolate. I made it in a tube pan rather than a heart shaped or round.
It baked up very nicely. I'd like to try it in a chocolate version.
I would love to send pictures, but can't figure out how!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!