Pistachio Brioche Food

PISTACHIO BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Using a stand mixer that has both a whisk and a dough hook attachment, whisk 2 of the eggs.
• Remove the whisk and attach the dough hook, then add the flour, yeast, salt, sugar and the remaining eggs to the bowl. Mix slowly for 5 minutes, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix until the dough is uniform and stretchy. Add the butter, a little at a time, scraping down the sides every now and again until incorporated. Transfer the dough to a floured bowl, then cover and place in the fridge to rest overnight.
• Before removing the dough from the fridge, blitz 80g of the pistachios with the remaining sugar, the vanilla and brandy in a food processor until a paste forms-this will take about 5 minutes. Scrape into a bowl. Roughly chop the rest of the pistachios.
• While the dough is cold, roll it out on a floured surface to a rough 35cm x 40cm rectangle. Trim the edges of the pastry so that the edges are even. Dip a pastry brush into a bowl of water and use it to brush each edge. Spread the pistachio paste over the bottom half of the rectangle and scatter the chopped pistachios over the paste. Lift the top half of the pastry over the pistachio paste to meet the bottom edge and form a thin rectangle. Roll gently to seal and return to the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into 4 pieces, roughly 9cm x 7cm. Make a 1cm incision in the centre of each piece and pull the pastry either side of the incision in opposite directions to meet the nearest end and to show an S shape of pistachio on the top of each piece of dough. Place each shaped piece of dough in a greased individual loaf tin and brush the top of each one with egg yolk.
• Bake in an oven heated to 400°F/200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 6 for 15 minutes, until risen and golden. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool further.

PISTACHIO FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Arrange bread in two shingled rows in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine cream and baking chips. Microwave, covered, on high for 4-5 minutes or until chips are melted, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Whisk in eggs, honey, extract and cinnamon until blended. Stir in cream mixture; pour over bread. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight. , Preheat oven to 350°. Remove French toast from refrigerator while oven heats. For topping, in a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, honey and cinnamon. Stir in pistachios and baking chips. Sprinkle over bread slices. , Bake, covered, 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.