Quelle réussite! La brioche française!

Before

Today I baked my brioche! After a very long wait and now lots of sore muscles- mixing that dough by hand was painful! I can finally share this delicious buttery bread with you. I chose Dorie Greenspan's recipe because I had yet to try one of her breads so I was hoping for the best. And it was splendid!After letting it rise for the last 2 hours during our family hike, I came back and glazed it and popped it in the oven. This is SO buttery and tasty- but I find it tastes even better the next day, toasted and smothered with jam or nutella. :)I used a loaf pan and a brioche pan for the dough, but isn't the brioche

one so much cuter? A worthy investment if you ask me. :) I hope you enjoy this brioche, all you French Foodies!

Golden Brioche Loaves

(from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours)

Ingredients:

• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch water
• 1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch whole milk (I used buttermilk)
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature but still slightly firm

For the Glaze:

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Place 1/3 cup warm water, warm milk and yeast in the bowl of a standing heavy-duty mixer; stir until yeast dissolves and let proof for 10 minutes.Add flour and salt, mix on low speed just until flour is moistened, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the eggs on low speed, then add sugar.
3. On medium speed, beat until the dough comes together, about 3 minutes.
4. Reduce speed to low. Add butter, two tablespoons at a time, beating until each piece is almost incorporated before adding next.
5. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the dough into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
7. Punch the dough down to deflate it every 30 minutes until it stops rising (it will take 2 hours in total). Cover bowl with plastic and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
8. The next day, butter and flour 2 large loaf pans. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Cut each dough half into 4 logs. Arrange logs crosswise in bottom of each prepared loaf pan. Place loaf pans on baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 2 hours.
9. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the brioches with the egg wash and bake until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 30-35 minutes.
10. Let cool to room temperature, then run a knife around the side of the pans and turn the loaves out onto a rack.
11. The loaves can also be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months.

Happy Baking! (and waiting)

Jessica

Whatchemacall-em's!

I'm sure you've had these under some crazy name, that you will uphold is the true and correct one, but I call them Russian Tea Cakes. They also go by Mexican Wedding Cookie, Snowdrop, Viennese Sugar Ball and Italian Butter Nut. But, whichever way you put it, they are delicious melting morsels of nutty goodness. :)I've made these many times over the years, with different nuts substituted in from almonds to walnuts to the pecans I used today. They're a simple shortbread-style cookie that is then rolled in powdered sugar. Twice. Yep, they're heavenly. One of my favorite things about making them is that there is no waiting necessary after they come out of the oven. You have to roll them in powdered sugar straightaway for the first coating and then wait till they cool a bit for the second time around. So you get to play with hot, sugary cookies (and not-so-sneakily eat a couple) and they don't have to look perfectly coated either time since you get 2 tries to perfect them! :)

These are typically a holiday cookie, but I don't really believe in baked goods having a set season. (With the exception of physically not being able to find some fruits during some seasons, of course) But if I want gingerbread and its halfway through July- you better believe I'll whip some up!

My second week of work was quite a success and I feel so good about being productive and I am REALLY happy to have a luxurious 3-day weekend ahead of me (we get Monday off!) so I am going to sit back and relax with one of my favorite movies (I know it's cliched!) Julie and Julia.

Russian Tea Cakes

(Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2004)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar (Plus more for rolling cookies)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degree F.
2. Cream butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla then gradually add the 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, then sift again with the salt (I just whisked them together in a separate bowl). Add gradually to the butter mixture. Add the pecans and mix well.
3. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Remove the cookies from the baking sheets and roll in powdered sugar while still hot. Cool on wire racks and roll cookies again in powdered sugar before serving. (About 1-2 hours later)
4. Once they are completely cooled, cookies may be stored in airtight containers for up to a week.

And since I have this wonderfully long weekend, I have some very special baking planned for my free time. :) I hope you enjoy the tea cakes!

Happy Baking!

Jessica