Apple puffs are brioche pastries filled with custard and apples. Great for breakfast or as a snack for your children. You can replace the custard with simple apricot jam, and they can also be prepared with plant-based ingredients for those who are lactose intolerant.

Discover other sweet leavened recipes:

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Medium
Preparation time: 1 Hour
Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Autumn, Winter

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
5.3 oz butter (or plant-based)
6.3 oz eggs
0.33 cup milk (or plant-based)
0.35 cup sugar
0.07 oz instant yeast
1 tbsp acacia honey
1 tbsp rum
1 lemon (zest)
1 vanilla bean
0.28 oz salt
1 cup milk (or plant-based)
0.26 cup sugar
1.8 oz egg yolks
0.88 oz cornstarch
0.5 vanilla bean
2 apples
1 lemon
1 egg
2 tbsps milk (or plant-based)
powdered sugar

Tools

1 Stand mixer
2 Bowls
1 Rolling pin
1 Pot

Steps

Split the vanilla bean and extract the seeds from the inside.
Heat the milk with the vanilla bean in a saucepan.
Mix the vanilla seeds with the eggs and sugar, and blend with a whisk.
Add the cornstarch and mix well.
Pour the hot milk into the cream, stir with a whisk.
Transfer the mixture to a pot and cook while constantly stirring for about 4-5 minutes.
Place the cream in a low and wide container.
Cover with cling film touching the surface.
Cool quickly and transfer to the fridge for a few hours.
It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Pour the flour, instant yeast, whole eggs, granulated sugar, honey, rum, lemon zest, and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Turn on the machine and let it knead for about 8 minutes on low speed.
Add softened butter, incorporating it into the dough a little at a time.
Finish with the salt and knead for another 5 minutes or until you have a smooth, homogeneous, and elastic dough.
Let rise at room temperature, covered with cling film, until doubled.
Deflate the dough by gently kneading with hands and store, covered with cling film, in the fridge overnight.
Roll out the brioche dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
Spread jam or custard over half the surface, to the outer edges, using a spatula and add thinly sliced apples soaked in lemon juice.
Fold over into a book shape. Cut into rectangles 2×4 inches and seal the edges well.
Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let rise for about 2 hours at 78°F or until doubled.
Brush with egg and milk.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 392°F for 18-20 minutes.
Once cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Tips

You can replace the custard with simple apricot jam.

They can be frozen either cooked or raw before the final proof. If you freeze them raw, place them directly frozen onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper the night before. The next morning, proceed with glazing and then baking as per the recipe. If you freeze them cooked, simply heat them for a few minutes in a hot oven at 392°F or in an air fryer, already defrosted, to regain their full aroma.