August Break Day 27 Favorite Recipe

It's hard to choose just one favorite recipe, but these chocolate chip cookies never fail me. It's a Nigella recipe from her book Kitchen. It can also be found here.

White Chocolate Chip Fruity Brioche Muffins

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:

Bready Steady Go – hosted by Jen's Food with Utterly Scrummy 

Recipe Clippings – with Farmersgirl Kitchen

ABC Bakes – hosted by Caroline Makes with the more than occasional baker (brought to us by the letter 'B'. B is for Brioche) 

Roasted Red Pepper Dip & Walkers new Market Deli: Anglesey Sea Salt w/Cracked Black Pepper Tortilla Chips

On Tuesday I made a quick trip up to London to see Tom Aikens make the best macaroni and cheese I have ever had.

I didn't know it was going to be the best macaroni and cheese I ever had before I went, but it definitely made the trip worth taking! That and all the gorgeous canapés , wine, and chips!   

Mr. Aikens’ mac and cheese was inspired by Walkers new Market Deli range of chips!

He started out with a basic white sauce then he added not only cheese, but ham and sun dried tomatoes too! It was delicious!

Which is why we were all there! To try the new flavors of chips and to have a good time of course! 

Each new flavor had it’s own display that showcased the ingredients used to create the crisps. Along with someone to give us some further information on the ingredients used. Overall I really enjoyed all the new flavors! My favorites were the pita chips.

There are four flavors of potato chips:

Cornish Mature Cheddar,

Wiltshire Cured Ham, mature cheddar, and Farmhouse Chutney,

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, and

Flame Grilled Spanish Chorizo with Roasted Onion.

Along with two flavors of tortilla chips:

Anglesey Sea Salt with Cracked Black Pepper and

Roasted Red Chilli with Mediterranean Sun dried Tomatoes.

There also two flavor of pita chips (my favorite):

Roasted Garlic with Mediterranean Herbs and

Roasted Red Pepper with English Tomato. 

After all the chips were tried and tested we sat down to watch Tom Aikens cook and while I was watching him I was thinking of a roasted red pepper dip I had once at a friends house.

When I was on the train back I did a little research and note taking and settled decided I would try this Roasted Red Pepper Dip.

It is made with roasted red peppers, fresh basil leaves from my green house, garlic and cream cheese. I used full-fat, but you can substitute with low fat if you'd like to make it lighter. 

It was a great pairing with the Anglesey Sea Salt with Cracked Black Pepper tortilla chips. My girls and I had it for lunch one afternoon with chips and veggie sticks. 

Roasted Red Pepper Dip:

200g jarred roasted red peppers, drained & chopped

handful of fresh basil leaves

1 clove of garlic (small one for a hint or a slightly bigger one for a bit of a punch)

150g cream cheese (low-fat or full-fat)

Place the chopped peppers, basil leaves, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until mostly smooth. Then add the cream cheese and mix until combined. Sit in the fridge for at least one hour or longer to develop the flavors. Before serving chop up a small bit of roasted red pepper and place in the middle of the dip and add a few fresh basil leaves. Dip in chips or veggie sticks and enjoy!

The dip was a perfect pairing for the Anglesey Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper Tortilla Chips!

notes: The chips will be available nationwide from the 23rd of June. The crisps were part of the goodie bag for attending the event. For further information please read my content/policy page above. I love the fact that they are called chips and crisps. Recipe inspired by a Betty Crocker recipe.