The brioche with cranberry cream are soft pastries with a leavened dough based on ricotta and lots of cranberry cream. In this case, American cranberries, larger and firmer than our native red currants, which have the advantage of being available from late autumn onwards and therefore, just in time for Christmas. Indeed, their bright red color is perfect for many Christmas recipes and is often used for decorating desserts and cocktails. Besides their color, I also love them for their taste, of course. When it’s the season for our native currants, you can certainly make the cream for these brioches with those too, don’t worry!
If you like cranberries and our native red currants, try these recipes of mine as well:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 15 brioche
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 3 2/3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup milk (warm)
- 9 oz ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter (melted)
- 1 cup cranberries (red currants)
- 3 1/2 tablespoons water
- 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/8 cup butter
- 1 egg (for brushing)
- to taste sugar sprinkles
Steps
To prepare the dough for the brioche with cranberry cream, place the flour, dry yeast, sugar, warm milk, and ricotta in the bowl of the stand mixer. Turn on the mixer. Then add the egg and salt and work until the dough has formed. Add the melted warm butter and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and detaches from the bottom and sides of the bowl, wrapping around the hook. Form a ball, return to the bowl, and let rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.
While the dough is rising, prepare the cream, as it will need to cool down before proceeding.
For the cream, wash the cranberries and place them in a small pot with the water and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Let it boil covered, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until the cranberries have softened and begin to break down. Remove from heat, blend everything with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Quickly mix in the egg with a whisk. Then add the butter in pieces and stir until melted and smooth. Let the cream cool in the fridge.
When the dough has doubled in volume, divide it into 15 pieces of about 2.3 oz each. Form a ball with each piece of dough and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the dough balls rise covered for about 30 minutes.
After this additional resting time, preheat the oven to 428 degrees (static). With a small smooth-bottomed glass (about 1.5-inch diameter), press the center of each dough ball to form a hollow. Detach the glass gently.
Break the egg into a small bowl and beat it with a fork. Place the sugar sprinkles in another small bowl. Brush the edge of the brioche with the beaten egg, then place them with the egg-brushed side in the sugar sprinkles so they stick. Place the brioche back on the baking sheet and put the cranberry cream in the center, in the hollow (about 1 heaping teaspoon per brioche).
Bake the brioche at 428 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until golden.
Take your brioche with cranberry cream out of the oven and enjoy them warm or cold.
