Flower Brioches with Midi-Pyrénées Honey Cream

LA RECETTE

1. Warm the milk to about 40°C (100°F – no higher than 50°C) and stir in the dry yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes until it becomes frothy and rehydrated.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, eggs, sugar, and salt. Stir gently, then pour in the milk and yeast mixture. Knead for 2 minutes on low speed (or 5 minutes by hand).
3. Add the softened butter and knead for 5 minutes on medium speed (or 10 minutes by hand). The dough will be quite sticky, which is normal.
4. Shape the dough into a smooth ball inside the bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1h30, or until it has doubled in size.
5. Punch down the dough to release the air traps, then divide into 10 equal portions. You can either shape them into classic round rolls (and place in muffin tins) or shape them into flower shapes manually.
6. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. To shape a flower: flatten a dough ball slightly, place a small bottle cap in the center, and make 5 radial cuts around it to form 5 petals. Pinch the edges of each petal to round them out. Repeat for all portions.
7. Cover the shaped brioches and let rise a second time for 1h to 1h30.
8. Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F).
9. Whisk together the egg wash ingredients. Gently brush over the brioches without pressing too hard to avoid deflating them.
10. Bake one sheet at a time on the lower-middle rack for 15 minutes, until beautifully golden. Let cool.
11. Prepare the honey cream: whisk together the room-temperature cream cheese, Midi-Pyrénées Honey, and powdered sugar. (Note: the cream cheese MUST be at room temperature to prevent the mixture from splitting when adding the butter).
12. Add the softened butter and beat for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.
13. Pipe the honey cream into the centers of the brioches using a pastry tip, or simply spread it generously on top before serving.