This Jam and Cream Brioche Tart is probably among the most extraordinary things I’ve ever baked, and that is saying something.
First of all, the end result is gorgeous. Golden, thick crust freckled by pearl sugar. Marbled cream cheese and contrasting jam, with flecks of vanilla bean throughout.
The tart is as delicious as it looks, too. The enriched dough is sweet and soft, providing a luscious base for the different kind of sweet-and-soft offered by the filling.
This is a showstopper of a dessert or breakfast.
The only unusual ingredient involved is the Swedish pearl sugar. I bought it on Amazon. I consider it a worthwhile investment, as there are a number of other pastry recipes I want to try that also use it. Plus, heck, you could even throw them on waffles or fruit or whatever.
Another not-quite-so-obscure ingredients I suggest you use is vanilla bean paste. This is VERY useful if you’re making fancy desserts because you get the flecks of vanilla beans without the high cost of using actual vanilla beans.
In a cream cheese filling or frosting, those flecks really stand out, and they add a lot to the WOW factor. Which this tart already has, many times over.
Recipe modified from Bake from Scratch, Sep/Oct 2019.
Bready or Not: Jam and Cream Brioche Tart
Equipment
- 9x9-inch pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
For Brioche
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk or half & half
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons white sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature and divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
For Cream Cheese Filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or substitute vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
To Finish
- 2 Tablespoons fruit preserves use good quality stuff with nice chunks
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Swedish pearl sugar
Instructions
- Using the microwave and a safe dish, heat the milk to between 120 and 130 degrees. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the flour, white sugar, yeast, and salt at very low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Slowly add the warm milk to incorporate. Add 2 of the eggs along with the vanilla, and beat for about 1 minute. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
- Add butter, about 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each piece incorporate before adding the next, about 8 minutes total. (If it refuses to incorporate, switch back to the paddle for this stage.) Beat until a smooth and elastic dough forms, about 6 minutes.
- Lightly flour a stretch of counter or tabletop and dump the dough there. Knead it for a minute or so and form it into a smooth round.
- Apply cooking spray inside a large bowl. Place the dough inside and give it a spray, too, to prevent sticking. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap in a warm spot to rise until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Cut parchment paper to line pan going up all four sides. Apply nonstick spray to pan, then lay both strips inside the pan and spray the top-most sides.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch square. Score a 9-inch square in center of dough (using the pan as a reference, if needed). Fold outside 2 inches over score mark, creating a crust around edges.
- Place dough in the prepared pan, making sure it is even and fills corners of pan. Cover and let rise until puffed, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese filling. Beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla bean paste (or extract), and salt until well combined. Gradually add cream cheese, beating until smooth. Add egg to incorporate, followed by the flour.
- Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Using your fingertips to dimple the center of dough back down, leaving outside crust as is. Pour the cream cheese mix into the center of dough. Make small indentations in the cream cheese then add dollops of the preserves. Use a knife to swirl the fruit in a bit more.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 tablespoon water and remaining egg. Brush the crust with the egg wash, then finish by sprinkling the pearl sugar all over the edge.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown with the filling set around outside edges, about 35 to 40 minutes. (If desired, check the temp: an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of filling should register 175°F.)
- Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then use the parchment sling to lift up the tart onto a serving plate or rack. Eat fresh, or let cool.
- Tart keeps for days well-wrapped in fridge. Eat slices cold, or make pieces even more delicious with a short zap in the microwave.
