Bostock (Almond Crusted Brioche)

Makes about 8 slices

Ingredients

Frangipane

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup almonds
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3½ oz butter, softened & cut into chunks
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp whole milk

Orange Blossom Simple Syrup

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp orange flower water

Bread, Almonds to Encrust & Dusting of Powdered Sugar

  • 1 loaf of brioche (watch Basic Brioche to make it from scratch)
  • 2 cups sliced almonds
  • powdered sugar for dusting cooled bostock

Special Equipment

  • food processor
  • baking sheet
  • parchment paper

How-to

  1. In a food processor, pulse together the sugar and almonds until you have a cornmeal consistency. Add salt and pulse. Add butter and pulse to combine
  2. Once smooth, mix in egg and vanilla. Add milk and mix until smooth. It's ready to use right away, but best if refrigerated for 1 hour
  3. Preheat oven to 350º
  4. To make simple syrup, in a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar just until sugar granules have dissolved. Cool and whisk in orange flower water. (Refrigerate extra simple syrup)
  5. Cut 4-8 slices of brioche into ¾" slices. Lay flat on a lined sheet pan. Brush each piece liberally with orange blossom syrup. Spread some frangipane onto each slice and spread evenly
  6. Put 2 cups of sliced almonds in a shallow dish. Working one at a time, place brioche slices with frangipane-side-down into the dish of almonds and then place slice face up back on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  7. Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes, or until bottoms of brioche are evenly browned. Let cool and dust with powdered sugar