Almond Custard Buns

These were inspired by one of my favorite German treats: Bienenstich (http://rhid-baked.blogspot.com/2007/07/bienenstich-bee-sting.html). Instead of making it a slice I simply made individual buns. These are both milky and crunchy with a touch of honey for sweetness.

Ingredients: Basic Brioche Dough (use half the dough for this recipe. Make sure to make the whole batch though – as yeast dough is really hard to make in different quantities).
2 packets of active dry yeast
1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch water
1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch milk
3.75 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
3 eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature (but still slightly firm) cut into 2 Tbs pieces

Ingredients: Filling (the custard is good for using the whole brioche recipe – it makes a lot)

80g custard powder

500mL full fat milk

250mL whipping cream

100g sugar

3.5 Tbs. butter cut into small bits

Ingredients: Topping
100g chopped almonds
100g butter
50g sugar
1.5 tsp. honey
1.5 Tbs. whipping cream

Method: Brioche
1. Put the yeast, water and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the yeast is dissolved.

2. Add the flour and salt, and fit the mixer with a dough hook.

3. Put a tea towel over the mixer (to prevent the flour from covering everything when you mix it).

4. Turn the mixer on and off for a few short pulses, then remove the towel.

5. Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and mix for 1 - 2mins, just until the flour is moistened.

6. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, set the mixer to low and add the eggs, followed by the sugar.

7. Increase the speed to medium and beat for around 3 min, until the dough makes a ball.

8. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter in 2 Tbs sized chunks, beating until each piece is almost incorporated before adding the next piece. The dough will soft, and more like a batter then a conventional dough at this stage.

9. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl (around 10 min).

10. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to rise in a warm place for 30-40min.

11. Pick the dough up from the sides, and let it fall back down into the bowl with a slap.

12. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Every 30min for the next 2 hours, slap the dough down in the bowl.
13. Leave the dough in the fridge overnight.

Method: Filling

1.In a saucepan add the custard powder and a little of the milk. Stir to blend in making sure there are no lumps.

2. Add the rest of the milk and add the cream and 100g sugar. Stir well to incorporate.

3. Put the heat of the stove top onto medium-high and with a whisk stir the custard mixture until it becomes thick (the whisk should leave visible gouges in the custard).

4. Take the saucepan off the stovetop and add one piece of butter at a time, making sure to combine the butter well before adding another piece.

5. Leave the custard mixture to cool down to room temp (periodically whisk it to make sure it doesn’t form a skin).

Method: Topping
1. In a medium pan, over medium-low heat combine the sugar, butter, honey and cream.

2.Stir and wait for the mixture to boil.

3.Once it has boiled stir in the almonds.

4.Take off the heat, and allow to cool down (10min).

Method: Assembly
1. Line a two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.Using half the chilled dough, roll it out into a rectangle on a floured bench top (12” X 16”).

3. Spread half the custard onto the dough leaving 1 inch spare around the edges.

4. Sprinkle on a handful of almonds – crunching them in your palms as you do so.

5. Roll the dough from one of the smallest edges towards the other. Roll as tightly as you can.

6. Here you can wrap the tightly rolled rounds in plastic wrap and freeze for later use (to use frozen, defrost overnight in the fridge then take them out and let them rise for around 1.5 hours and bake as directed below).

7. With a sharp knife trim the dough at the ends. Cut the log into 1 inch pieces.

8. Place on the lined baking sheets making sure to leave room around each.

9. Place 1 Tbs. of the topping on each round.

10. Lightly cover the rounds with wax paper and set the baking sheets in a warm place to rise for 1.5 hours.

11. Heat the oven to 375F.

12. Bake for 25 min (they are done when they are puffed, and a light brown).

Dough taken from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking from my home to yours" and topping from "German Baking Today" by Dr. Oetker pp.134-6.