This Easy French Pastry - BostockTastes Just Like an Almond Croissant

• Toasting the almond flour enhances its nuttiness, resulting in a deeply flavored almond cream.
• Brushing the brioche with orange juice keeps the bostock moist.
• Spreading a layer of marmalade between the brioche and almond cream gives the bostock a bittersweet citrus flavor.

   

4 Tips for Making the Very Best Bostock

Toast the nuts for the almond cream. Almond cream, which is often mistaken for frangipane outside of France, is what gives bostock its rich nuttiness. My bostock uses Serious Eats contributor Zola Gregory’s almond cream recipe; to enhance the flavor and aroma of the nuts, Gregory toasts the almond flour before incorporating it into the almond cream, and seasons it generously with almond extract, vanilla extract, and brandy. It’s a simple step that goes a long way, and the resulting almond cream is much more fragrant than one made with untoasted almond flour.

Incorporate some fruit. In my recipe below, I give the pastry a hit of citrus by brushing both sides of the bread with orange juice, which keeps it moist, and spreading a layer of orange marmalade across the bread before topping it with the almond cream. Freshly squeezed orange juice is nice, but if you don’t have any on hand, store-bought juice is just fine. Because marmalade is made with whole oranges—skin and all—the condiment has a nice bittersweet flavor that offsets the sweetness of the almond cream.

Top it with sliced almonds. While bostock is delicious on its own, the pastry is very soft without the topping of sliced almonds. The nuts toast as the bostock bakes and provide a necessary and satisfying crunch and also give the bostock an additional layer of flavor.

Bake until just firm to the touch. At room temperature, raw almond cream is thick and spreadable. As it bakes, the almond cream takes on a cake-like texture. Like many cakes, the almond cream will begin to puff as it bakes. Don’t be fooled by appearances: If it isn’t a light golden brown and just firm to the touch, it isn’t done cooking yet, and needs more time. Though slightly denser than an aerated cake, it should spring back slightly when pressed.

How is brioche different from bread?

Brioche is made from an enriched dough that uses eggs, sugar, and butter. These additional ingredients make the bread taste dense, soft, and sweet. The crumb (the pattern of holes in a slice of bread) is also much tighter (lots of small holes) in brioche than in a baguette (large, irregular holes

 

Ingredients

For the Almond Cream:

• 8 ounces blanched or natural almond flour (226 g; 2 cups), see notes

• 6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature (170 g; 12 tbsp)
  

• 7 ounces granulated sugar (200 g; 1 cup)

• 1 1/2 tsp orange zest from 2 medium oranges

• 1 ounce all-purpose flour (32 g; 1/4 cup)

• 2 large eggs, room temperature- use substitute

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) brandy or dark rum, optional

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) almond extract

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract

• 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

To Assemble:

• Eight (1/2-inch thick) slices brioch, homemade or store-bought

• 1/2 cup (60 ml) orange juice from 2 medium oranges

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade, divided

• Almond cream, see above

• 2 ounces sliced almonds (57 g; 1/2 cup

 

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Add almond flour to a parchment-lined 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer. Toast in oven, stirring every 3 minutes, until the almond flour is fragrant and light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, and orange zest, if using, on low speed to roughly incorporate. Increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes, pausing to scrape down bowl and beater with a flexible spatula as needed. Add almond flour, all-purpose flour, egg, brandy (if using), almond extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on medium-high speed until smooth, thick, and creamy, pausing to scrape down bowl and beater halfway through, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible spatula, scrape bowl and beater to ensure that no streaks of unmixed butter remain. (Almond cream can also be prepared in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.) 

 

Arrange brioche slices on a 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. In a small bowl, whisk orange juice and vanilla extract to combine. Brush both sides of 1 slice of brioche with orange juice mixture. Using an offset spatula, spread 1 tablespoon orange marmalade evenly across brioche. Top with about 3 tablespoons almond cream, spreading evenly from side to side to cover bread. Garnish with sliced almonds. Repeat with remaining brioche slices. 

Bake until almond cream is a light golden brown and just firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature and dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. 

Notes

Almond cream can be found in specialty grocery stores and online.

Blanched almond flour is a solid beige color whereas natural almond flour appears speckled. Either variety will work well in this recipe; it all comes down to personal preference.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Almond cream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Bostock is best eaten on the day it’s made, but cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Leftover bostock may become soggy; to refresh, reheat in a 325°F (160°C) oven until warmed through.

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs