Vanilla Cream Filled Brioche Recipe 435

VANILLA CREAM-FILLED BRIOCHE RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• 1) In a stand mixer or bread machine (programmed for dough), mix together all of the dough ingredients to form a smooth, shiny dough. Don't worry; what starts out as a sticky mess becomes beautifully satiny as it kneads. This dough takes longer than most to develop, so be prepared to let the dough knead for up to 15 to 20 minutes in a stand mixer. Also, we don't recommend trying to knead it by hand. If you're using a bread machine, let it complete its kneading cycle, then continue as directed below. 2) Form the dough into a ball (it'll be very soft), place it in a greased bowl, cover the bowl, and it let rise for 1 hour. 3) Refrigerate the dough for several hours, or overnight. This will slow the fermentation and chill the butter, making the dough easier to shape. 4) While the dough is chilling, prepare the pastry cream. 5) In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together 2 1/2 cups of the milk, the sugar, and the salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. 6) Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup milk. 7) Whisk about 1/3 cup of the hot milk mixture with the egg yolks. This keeps the yolks from turning to scrambled eggs when you add them to the simmering milk. 8) Pour the egg/milk mixture back into the remaining simmering milk. Doing this through a strainer will help prevent lumps later. 9) Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture thickens. To avoid lumps, it's important to stir this constantly, and to run a spatula along the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing's sticking. Don't worry, the cream won't take long to thicken. 10) Remove the pastry cream from the heat and pour it through a sieve to remove any lumps. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract. 11) Transfer the pastry cream to a storage bowl, and top with a buttered piece of parchment or plastic wrap. This will prevent a skin from forming. 12) Refrigerate the cream until you're ready to use it. 13) To shape and bake the brioche: Remove the brioche dough from the refrigerator, and divide it into 16 pieces. 14) Shape each piece into a round ball. Space the balls on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2" between them; they'll expand quite a bit. 15) Cover the brioche, and let them rise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until they're very puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F. 16) Brush each brioche with some of the egg wash, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or Swedish pearl sugar. 17) Place the pan on a lower-middle rack in the oven, and bake the brioche for 25 to 30 minutes, tenting them with aluminum foil after 15 minutes if they appear to be browning too quickly. The finished brioche will register at least 190°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center. 18) Remove the brioche from the oven, and cool on a rack. 19) Finish the pastry cream by whipping the 1/2 cup heavy cream to soft peaks, and folding it into the refrigerated pastry cream. 20) Slit each brioche around the circumference, making a top and bottom. Spoon a heaping 1/4 cup filling onto the bottom, and lay the top over the filling. 21) Serve within an hour or so. Brioche can be filled and refrigerated for several hours, covered. Allow them to warm a bit before serving. Yield: 16 filled brioche.

VANILLA CREAM

Steps:

• Whisk yolks until smooth. Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add milk in a slow, steady stream. Cook, stirring, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes.
• Pour 1/3 of milk mixture into yolks, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until thick, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla.
• Pass vanilla cream through a fine sieve into a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on surface. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

VANILLA CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and shortening until well combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, and beat to combine. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

BERRY BRIOCHE WITH TAHITIAN VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• To make the ice cream: Combine the milk, cream, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.
• Split the vanilla beans and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture, then drop in the pods.
• Bring to a boil, then immediately remove from heat and set aside for 2 minutes to steep.
• Lightly whisk the egg yolks to break them up, then whisk in a spoonful of the hot milk mixture.
• Pour the yolks into the hot milk mixture, whisking gently to combine.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring gently but constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
• Remove from heat and strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice.
• Let chill, stirring occasionally as the mixture cools.
• When it is cold, stir in the half-and-half.
• Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.
• Pack into airtight freezer containers and freeze until ready to use.
• To prepare the brioche: Oil a large mixing bowl and set aside.
• Whisk the water, yeast, and eggs together.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and salt with the paddle attachment on low speed.
• Slowly add the egg mixture.
• Mix until the dough forms a ball.
• Add the butter, a few small pieces at a time, until the butter is incorporated.
• Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes.
• Put the dough in the oiled bowl; the mixture will be soft.
• Cover with plastic wrap and place a towel on top.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Divide the cold dough into 10 portions, roll into balls, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Flour a work surface and roll out each ball of dough into a 6-inch circle.
• Brush off any excess flour.
• Refrigerate again.
• Place the circles on a work surface.
• Pinch the edge with your thumb and forefinger and twist slightly, turning up a collar all around each circle.
• Prick the bottoms with a fork and place on the prepared sheet pans.
• Brush the edges of the brioche with cool water and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• To finish: Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
• Gently toss the filling ingredients together.
• Mound into the prepared brioche tart shells; the filling will cook down.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the filling bubbles and the edges are golden brown.
• Remove and keep warm.
• To prepare the coulis: Puree the ingredients in a food processor or blender and strain through a fine-meshed sieve.
• Put in a squeeze bottle.
• To serve: Place a brioche tart on each dessert plate.
• Dust with confectioner's sugar.
• Spoon berry coulis over the plates.
• Place drops of creme anglaise in the coulis and pull through with a toothpick of the tip of a sharp knife to form a design.
• Top each with a scoop of Tahitian vanilla ice cream and garnish with a sprig of mint and (optional) sugar spiral.

THICK VANILLA PASTRY CREAM FOR BRIOCHE BRETZELS

Steps:

• Place the half-and-half, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the milk and then drop in the pod. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and let the vanilla infuse into the milk while you work with the eggs.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Whisking some of the sugar into the eggs helps prevent lumps later when you whisk in the hot cream. Whisk in the cornstarch until smoothly incorporated.
• Remove the vanilla bean, rinse, dry, and reserve for another use. While whisking vigorously, pour the hot milk into the eggs a little at a time. Then pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking all the while and making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan. Boil until the pastry cream thickens, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. If the cream looks lumpy, pass it through a sieve into a bowl. Otherwise, whisk in the butter and vanilla extract, if using, and then transfer the pastry cream to a bowl to cool for about 5 minutes. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature.