Strawberry brioche hearts are a delicious and romantic idea, perfect to prepare in advance and serve for breakfast on Valentine’s morning. Ideal also for an anniversary or to make any day dedicated to loved ones special.
These are soft brioche hearts, fragrant and delicate, with an irresistible strawberry filling that captivates at the first bite.

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Affordable
Rest time: 2 Minutes
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 4 Pieces
Cooking methods: Frying
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Valentine's Day, All Seasons

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Manitoba flour
1 egg
3/4 tsp fresh yeast
2 tbsp milk
1 lemon zest
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 1/2 tbsp butter
1 pinch salt
as needed seed oil (for frying)
as needed strawberry jam
7 oz dark chocolate

Preparation

To prepare the brioche dough, place the sugar along with the two flours in a bowl or stand mixer. Form a well and place the yeast in the center, then immediately pour in the warm milk.
Start mixing to combine everything.
Add the egg along with the vanilla extract and grated lemon zest. Incorporate the ingredients well into the dough, then add the melted butter and a pinch of salt. Allow everything to be absorbed and work the dough until it is smooth, homogeneous, and soft to the touch.
Place the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film, and let rise in a dry place for about 2 hours.
After the time has passed, the brioche dough will have doubled in volume. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface using all-purpose flour, with the help of a rolling pin, until it reaches a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Use cutters to cut out heart shapes. In the center of half the hearts, place a tablespoon (or a generous teaspoon, depending on size) of strawberry jam, then cover with another brioche heart. Press the edges well with your fingers to seal and let rise for another 30 minutes.
At this point, you can choose to bake the brioche hearts or fry them, as I did.
For the baked version: cook in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
For the fried version: cook in plenty of seed oil for about 3 minutes, turning them on both sides, until golden.
Once cooled, proceed to decorate your strawberry brioche hearts.
Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie or microwave, then take a disposable piping bag, fill it with melted chocolate, and cut a small piece off the tip. Be careful not to cut too much, or the chocolate will come out in excess, resulting in a ‘cascade’ rather than thin decorative lines.
Feel free to decorate your brioche hearts as you like!
Alternatively, you can dip them in chocolate and finish with white or colored chocolate flakes, heart-shaped sprinkles, or other decorations to your liking.