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Jump to RecipeI woke up with a hankering for pastry. That actually happens everyday, but today my craving was specific. I wanted a soft, sweet dough filled with orange blossom scented cream cheese filling and jammy fruit. So making berry cream cheese brioche pastries had to happen for my own sanity. I get cranky if I don’t get my sweets. Just ask my husband!
These pastries also happen to be so perfect for Mother’s Day brunch that I felt compelled to put them up on the blog just in time. For other Mother’s day ideas, check out my, Dutch Baby, Lemon Layer Cake, Lemon Elderflower Martini, Earl Grey Macarons, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Streusel Cake, to name a few!
I can’t believe I haven’t given you any recipes including orange blossom water since my Negroni! Orange blossom is the made by water distillation of the blossoms of the oange bitter tree. It is potent, so a little goes a long way! But it definitely adds an exotic and flowery hint to pastries like these berry cream cheese brioche pastries.
Brioche
Brioche is a French pastry bread that is golden, rich, buttery, slightly sweet, and oh so amazing.
To me, brioche is the bread I could eat with anything and everything. It enhances burgers, serves as the ideal canvas for fillings of all kinds, can be braided, or just served alone with butter. It’s the queen of breads, and I’m obsessed with it. I’m also baking my way through some serious French Pastries right now. Oh… it just hit me. That would be why I’m craving pastry like a mad woman!
Brioche is rich with butter and eggs. With a tender puff to it, It’s THE bread for French Toast, Bread pudding, and these strawberry cream cheese brioche pastries.
Since brioche is a yeasted sweet bread, these pastries take a bit of time for rising. I usually make the brioche dough the night before baking, just to give the flavor and slow rise time to develop. But in a pinch, just ensure you’ve got at least 90 minutes and a warm, draft free place for rising.
Making Brioche Pastries
The first step to making these berry cream cheese brioche pastries is to make your brioche.
If you have a double oven, heat up the bottom one to 175 degrees and allow it to heat for 15 minutes. Then turn it off. The heat will subtly rise to the upper oven to gently enhance the rising of the brioche dough. If you don’t have a double oven then turn your oven on to lowest temperature setting for 5 minutes. Then turn it off.
To get quicker rising dough use the oven method. In a large bowl, add warm water (between 105-110 degrees). Then sprinkle on yeast and let it proof for 10 minutes until foamy and activated. For foolproof yeast activation, ensure you use fresh yeast and a thermometer for accurate water temperature. You cannot have successful bread without proper yeast. So if it doesn’t proof then throw out and start again.
Once the yeast is proofed then mix in the honey, slightly beaten eggs, and salt. Then incorporate the flour and a touch of powdered milk. The powdered milk is optional but highly recommended for flavor. Work the dough with a wooden spoon until smooth. This dough is very wet and sticky.
Note that you can use regular honey or orange blossom honey for extra flavor in the dough.
Cover with a damp cloth and put into the oven. Leave the door cracked and allow to rise for about 45 minutes. Alternatively, allow the dough to rise in a draft free and warm area.
Once the dough has risen, dust a surface with flour. Then put the dough on top and roll out into a rectangle. Either use a biscuit cutter or cut and shape the dough pieces into 12 rounds and set on two parchment covered baking sheets. Allow the bread to rise on the counter for another 30 – 45 minutes.
Then flatten each round again, pushing the middles down for a well to hold the cream cheese filling. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees and make the cream cheese filling.
Cream Cheese Filling
These berry cream cheese brioche pastries have a luscious filling that is creamy, slightly sweet, with a hint of orange blossom.
To make your filling, use a hand mixer or whisk to mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Then add an egg yolk and whisk for a minute. Then add orange zest and vanilla extract. For extra orange flavor, omit the vanilla and use orange blossom water.
Reserve the egg white for your egg wash
Fruit Topping
These berry cream cheese brioche pastries can be topped with various fruits. I used a mix of fresh blueberries and strawberries.
Chop the strawberries and combine with the blueberries. Toss with a teaspoon of sugar and a tablespoon of jam, like apricot or strawberry.
Berry Cream Cheese Brioche Pastries
Make a simple egg wash of the egg white and a teaspoon of water.
Fill each brioche pasty with approximately a tablespoon of the filling. Then gently brush with egg wash.Then top each pastry with the macerated berries. They will spread whole baking. Sprinkle on a bit of raw sugar for extra pizzazz!
Then bake the berry cream cheese brioche pastries for approximately 22-28 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. For extra sheen and flavor on the fruit, brush on an extra bit of orange blossom honey or warm jam.
If you make these pastries, tag me on Instagram with @ritzymomblog!
Berry Cream Cheese Brioche Pastries
Soft, sweet dough filled with orange scented cream cheese filling and jammy fruit.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons warm water
- 1 teaspoon fast acting yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey like orange blossom honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 3/4 cups bread flour plus up to 2 tablespoons, as needed
- 2 tablespoon powdered milk
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg yolk reserve egg white for egg wash
- zest 1 medium orange
- 1/8 teaspoon orange blossom water optional
Topping
- 16 ounces mixed berries like chopped strawberries and blueberries
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon jam
- 1 egg white egg wash
- 1 teaspoon water egg wash
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom honey warmed for brushing final pastries
- 2 tablespoons raw sugar optional
Instructions
-
The first step to making these berry cream cheese brioche pastries is to make your brioche.
In a large bowl, add warm water (between 105-110 degrees). Then sprinkle on yeast and let it proof for 10 minutes until foamy and activated. For foolproof yeast activation, ensure you use fresh yeast and a thermometer for accurate water temperature. You cannot have successful bread without proper yeast. So if it doesn’t proof then throw out and start again.
Once the yeast is proofed then mix in the honey, slightly beaten eggs, and salt. Then incorporate the flour and a touch of powdered milk. The powdered milk is optional but highly recommended for flavor. Work the dough with a wooden spoon until smooth. This dough is very wet and sticky.
Cover with a damp cloth and allow the dough to rise in a draft free and warm area for about 45 minutes.
Once the dough has risen, dust a surface with flour. Then put the dough on top. Roll it out divide into 12 pieces OR (Cut with a biscuit ring). Shape the dough pieces into rounds and set onto two parchment covered baking sheets. Allow the bread to rise on the counter for another 30 minutes.
Then flatten each round again, pushing the middles down for a well to hold the cream cheese filling. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees and make the cream cheese filling.
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
These berry cream cheese brioche pastries have a luscious filling that is creamy, slightly sweet, with a hint of orange blossom.
To make your filling, use a hand mixer or whisk to mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Then add an egg yolk and whisk for a minute. Then add orange zest and vanilla extract and orange blossom extract.
Reserve the egg white for your egg wash
FRUIT TOPPING
These berry cream cheese brioche pastries can be topped with various fruits. I used a mix of fresh blueberries and strawberries.
Chop the strawberries and combine with the blueberries. Toss with a teaspoon of sugar and a tablespoon of jam, like apricot or strawberry.
BERRY CREAM CHEESE BRIOCHE PASTRIES
Make a simple egg wash of the egg white and a teaspoon of water.
Fill each brioche pasty with approximately a tablespoon of the filling. Then gently brush with egg wash.
Then top each pastry with the macerated berries. They will spread whole baking.
Then bake the berry cream cheese brioche pastries for approximately 22-28 minutes.
Allow to cool before serving. For extra sheen on the fruit, brush on an extra bit of warm jam OR orange blossom honey for extra honey flavor.
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