Perhaps I should call them Bruffins or something? Start a
new mash-up trend! Mash-up’s are fun, but what makes a mash-up? This is brioche
made in a muffin tin and therefore looks like a muffin. It also has common
muffin ingredients like the chocolate chips and dried fruit. Works for me as a
mash-up, however, I will still call it a Chocolate Chip Fruity Brioche Muffin.
No, bruffins here! Or worse Muioche’s … not even sure how one would pronounce
that.
Also I am sure somewhere out there in the foodie world
someone else has made brioche in their muffin pan/tin way before me. In this
world of food it’s hard to be completely original.
Inspiration comes from everywhere. A recipe I found in a
magazine a couple years ago inspired these brioche muffins. As I become a more
confident baker I am able to change and adapt recipes to suit my tastes and
needs.
It was this recipe clipping and my
recent baking day with my friend Jen, fellow baker and blogger, that encouraged
me to make these deliciously light, chocolaty, and fruity brioche muffins!
They were loved and enjoyed by everyone who tried one, which
was me, my daughters, me, one of the neighbors, and me again…. Sweetbreads are
dangerous in this house!
To bring the danger to yours here’s how I made them. I used
a stand mixer, but you don’t need one.
White Chocolate Chip Fruity Brioche Muffins
100g mixed dried fruit; cranberries, cherries, blueberries,
strawberries
1-2 tsp vodka (or juice)
500g ‘00’ flour, sifted
100g golden caster sugar
2 x7g sachets fast action yeast
pinch of salt
200ml milk, gently warmed
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g unsalted butter, very soft and cubed
100g white chocolate chips
100g white chocolate, melted
Soak the dried fruit in vodka or juice and set aside. Sift
the flour directly in the stand mixer bowl or in a large bowl and add the
sugar, yeast, and a pinch of salt. Be sure to put the salt and yeast on
separate sides of the bowl. Salt can kill the yeast.
In a jug combine the milk,
which should be warm to the touch you don’t want it too hot as it too could
kill the yeast, too cold and it won’t work either, gently whisk in the eggs and
vanilla extract. Attach the dough hook and start mixing on low. Slowly add the
liquid mixture. Use a wooden spoon to first bring the mixture together before
kneading by hand. Mix in the mixer for 10 minutes, knead for about 10 minutes
give or take a few minutes. It should be soft and stringy.
While the mixer is
still running or while you’re kneading slowly add the butter cube by cube. Make
sure each cube is completely incorporated before adding the next. The dough
should look glossy. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean damp
towel and leave to rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
Lightly grease each muffin indent with butter. Once the
dough has risen gently knock it back, still in the bowl, by pressing your fist
into it. Dust the counter top with a little bit of flour before turning out the
dough onto the surface and give it another knock or two before folding in the
dried fruit and chocolate chips.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces and using your
fingertips fold each dough piece into a little ball before dropping into the
prepared muffin tin/pan indents. Cover again with a clean damp towel, I used
shot glasses to prop up the towel so it wasn't resting directly on the pan.
Leave for an hour a little more or less until the dough has doubled in size.
Heats the oven to 190C, once heated bake the brioche muffins
for 20-25 minutes until toasty brown on the top. They should feel slightly
hollow when tapped.
Melt the white chocolate in your preferred melting method,
either in a heatproof bowl over simmering water or in the microwave, be sure to
check in 5 or 10 second intervals. Gently spoon the melted chocolate over the
cooled brioche muffins.
notes: this recipe is adapted from Jamie Magazine issue 44
December 2013.
These Brioche Muffins have been entered in these challenges: