Brioche - Sweet and Savoury

It's been a long time since I made these but after hearing someone retell a story about staying with us and the brioche I made, I thought it might be time to give this one another go.
The recipe is simple and I used the dough for both the sweet and the savoury version. The dough was made in the bread maker and then the completed brioche given time to rise in the oven. The rose during baking too.
They probably could have been glazed to make them look better but the still tasted great. They are best eaten in the day they are baked (straight out of the oven was pretty good) but are ok the next day warmed a little bit.

Brioche Dough
1 cup milk
3 tbs melted butter
2 eggs - plus enough milk to make 1/2 a cup
4 1/4 cups of high grade flour
1 tbs sugar
2 tsp yeast

Make dough in bread maker on dough setting.
Divide dough in half (if making half sweet, half savoury) and roll the dough out to roughly a 15cm by 30 cm rectangle.
Spread filling over the dough.
Roll dough up in a spiral to form a long sausage.
Slice into brioche slices (about 10 cm)
Place slices on tray covered in baking paper with space between ti allow for rising.
Bake at 200 degrees C for about 15 minutes

Sweet filling ideas

• chopped white chocolate and frozen (or fresh) raspberries
• brown sugar (or coconut sugar) and cinnamon
• chopped dark chocolate and raisin

Savoury filling ideas

• pesto, finely chopped mushroom, capsicum and cheese
• cheese, bacon
• cheese and pineapple
• sundried tomato and feta cheese

White Chocolate Creme Brûlée

This recipe is a family favorite. Almost a guarantee to get the family together for dinner!
I first made it as part of a chocolate dessert platter for a very special birthday dinner for a friend.
I can't remember the last time I made it and as we have a bowl of egg yolks just calling out to be used I'm really left with no choice.
Having not made this for a long time, I was amazed at how simple it really is...simple in that there are not too many steps, but not simple in that there are a few things that can go wrong!

I left making it a bit late today...well, actually a lot late but discovered a way to speed up the cooling process. After the cook brûlées had cooled a bit I put them back in the water bath and slowly added ice.
I left then in there while I caramelised the sugar too. Not ideal in that they were a wee bit runny but good enough to get them finished in time for dinner tonight.


White Chocolate Creme Brûlée

500ml (2 cups) cream

100g (1/2 cup) sugar (plus 5 tsp for topping)

1/2 vanilla bean (split in half lengthwise)

75g white chocolate (best quality tablet, roughly chopped) ( white chocolate melts are not suitable)

5 egg yolks

• Preheat oven to 150°C.
• Pour cream into a medium heavy based saucepan and add half the sugar. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add seeds and bean to cream.
• Place saucepan over a low heat and stir till sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow cream to sit for 2 minutes.
• Away from heat add white chocolate to cream mixture and stir till smooth.
• Place egg yolks and remaining sugar into a bowl and combine with a wooden spoon hoping not to create froth.
• Gradually and slowly pour warm cream mixture into egg yolk mixture stirring till combined. Pour liquid through a sieve to remove vanilla bean, any strands of egg white and froth. If any froth remains on liquid scrape it off.
• Pour liquid into 5 small ovenproof ramekins or cups. Place ramekins into a roasting tray and add enough warm water to roasting tray to come halfway up the sides of ramekins.
• Place in oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or till custards are just set in the centres. They should still appear wobbly. Immediately remove from water and cool. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or preferably overnight.
• To serve: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each custard and brûlée till sugar is browned. Serve immediately.