Apple, Cinnamon & Rose Brioche

This recipe came about after I found these beautiful pink Kissabel apples, I’d seen them on Pinterest but never before in real life, they’re so pretty that I knew I wanted to create a recipe that would really showcase them. If you can’t find them this brioche also works great with any old apples, I don’t know about you, but I’m forever buying apples thinking that I’ll eat them as a nice healthy snack, I then proceed to forget about them and they sit around for a few weeks until I am overcome with guilt and use them up in a baking project.

As always this recipe is totally customisable, is you don’t like rose, just leave it out, if you don’t like apples try it with pears, figs or whatever fruit you fancy, if you don’t like bread, we might have a problem…

Ingredients - Makes 12

Brioche

330g strong white flour

5g fast action yeast

5g salt

50g caster sugar

1tbsp/15g milk

180g eggs (approximately 4 eggs plus a little leftover, save any leftover for the egg wash)

150g cold, cubed butter

Cinnamon & Rose Crème Pâtissière

280ml whole milk

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 lemon zest

15g edible rose petals (optional)

5g rosewater

50g caster sugar

20g cornflour

80g/4 large egg yolks

To Finish

5 Kissabel apples

Handfull flaked almonds

Runny honey

Edible dried rose petals

Start off by mixing the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Next add the eggs and milk and mix in a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 5 minutes, or by hand for about 7 minutes. When the dough is starting to become smooth slowly add the butter about a quarter at a time, don’t add more before each batch is fully incorporated or you’ll risk getting a split and sticky mess!

When the butter is fully incorporated you should have a lovely smooth dough. Turn it out onto a surface, form it into a ball and then put into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size, most recipes say this should take around an hour but my house is freezing so this always takes absolutely ages!

While the dough is proofing, make the Cinnamon & Rose Crème Pâtissière. Put the milk, lemon zest, cinnamon stick and rosewater/petals into a pan and bring to the boil. While the milk is heating whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and cornflour. Pour half of the freshly boiled milk over the egg yolk mixture while whisking, followed by the second half. Sieve back into the pan to strain out the cinnamon, zest and petals. Bring the mixture to the boil whisking continuously, once boiling cook out for 3-4 more minutes, this ensures that there isn’t a floury texture and that it’s nice and thick. Once cooked, taste and if at this point you want any more rose or cinnamon now is a good time to add it. Set aside to cool, covering the top with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming.

Once the dough has doubled in size it’s ready to shape. Divide the dough into 12 60g pieces, shape each piece into a ball and then roll out into discs, they need to be big enough to fit a good amount of creme pat and apple slices, I found 10cm was approximately the right size. Place onto trays lined with baking paper and leave to proof. If, like me, you live in a freezing cold house, you can speed up this process by placing a bowl of freshly boiled water into the oven (turned off!) and putting the trays in with with water, this will create a nice warm, steamy environment, a diy proofer! They’ll take 45 minutes - 1 hour in a diy proofer or a bit longer at room temp.

When they’ve puffed up nicely remove the water from the oven and pre-heat to 170°C. Mix the leftover egg from the brioche with a little milk, gently brush the brioche with the egg wash. Use your fingers to make an indentation in the centre of each brioche, this will keep the creme pat nice and central and stop it exploding all over the edges! Pipe or spoon a bit of creme pat into the centre and top with slices of apple. Sprinkle some flaked almonds around the edges and they’re ready to bake! Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

When they’re nearly ready warm about 3 tbsp of honey in the microwave for 30 seconds, this will be used as a glaze making them lovely and shiny! As soon as they’re out of the oven brush with honey glaze and then sprinkle with a few dried rose petals and voila, they’re ready to eat!