Bostock (Brioche aux amandes)

I found some brioche in my fridge that I wanted to make use of, and I figured what better way to use it than to make a bostock or brioche aux amandes. This delectable French pastry is a staple in French bakeries and a total treat for breakfast or dessert. 

Bostock

A bostock, or brioche aux amandes, is a French pastry made up of day-old brioche bread with a creamy, frangipane topping. The brioche is brushed with a simple syrup before it’s topped with [easyazon_link identifier=”B0012BVU9G” locale=”US” tag=”monpetitfour-20″]almond[/easyazon_link] pastry cream and sliced [easyazon_link identifier=”B00DXA53I8″ locale=”US” tag=”monpetitfour-20″]almonds[/easyazon_link]. 

While it’s similar to pain perdu in that it’s made up of dressed-up brioche slices, a bostock is baked rather than fried. It’s also not dipped in a custard batter like pain perdu is.  

That said, a bostock is just as simple to whip up as pain perdu and is a wonderful alternative when you’re looking to make a large batch of breakfast or dessert. 

Très facile

A bostock is typically brushed with a simple syrup made up of sugar and some kind of flavoring. Orange or apricot are popular flavors. 

Rather than heat sugar and infuse the syrup with a particular flavor, I use [easyazon_link identifier=”B000UY0ZFG” locale=”US” tag=”monpetitfour-20″]this jam[/easyazon_link]. I warmed up the jam and brushed it over both sides of the brioche. It’s an easy alternative to making your own simple syrup.

The frangipane topping is also just as easy to produce. Frangipane consists of just [easyazon_link identifier=”B0082GV1Z2″ locale=”US” tag=”monpetitfour-20″]almond meal/flour[/easyazon_link], sugar, butter, almond extract, and an egg. It’s all quickly mixed together in a bowl before it’s spread over one side of the jam-covered brioche slices. 

au four

The fact that the bostock pastry is baked makes it a really convenient option when you’re entertaining a group of people. You can bake a bunch of the brioche slices on a large [easyazon_link identifier=”B000G0KJG4″ locale=”US” tag=”monpetitfour-20″]baking sheet[/easyazon_link], then keep them warm in the oven until you’re ready to serve them. 

The only thing you have to do before you serve the bostock pastries is dust them with [easyazon_link identifier=”B00E0Y8PTA” locale=”US” tag=”monpetitfour-20″]powdered sugar[/easyazon_link]. You can also serve them with maple syrup if you wanted, but you really don’t need to. 

The pastries have that wonderful, sweet flavor from the jam and almond pastry cream. Orange and apricots are particularly a wonderful match with the almond flavor, which is why I think they’re the preferred choice to brush onto the brioche. 

The almond pastry cream puffs up as the pastry bakes, giving the brioche slice gorgeous volume. A bostock is definitely a stunning treat to impress some family and friends with!

Bostock (Brioche aux amandes)

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

Brioche slices topped with a delectable almond pastry cream than baked until golden. Perfect for breakfast or dessert! 

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Ingredients

• 6 brioche slices
• 1 cup almond meal or almond flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• orange jam or apricot jam
• shaved almonds
• powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°F). Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper. 
2. Prepare the frangipane: To a medium bowl, add the almond meal/flour, sugar, butter, and almond extract. Mix everything together with a rubber spatula until combined. Add in the egg, then mix until incorporated well. Temporarily set aside. 
3. Warm the jam in the microwave or a small saucepan until hot and runny. Use a pastry brush or a butter knife to spread the jam onto both sides of each brioche slice. Place the brioche slices onto your prepared baking sheet.  
4. Use a spoon to scoop the frangipane onto the tops of each brioche slice, using the back of the spoon to spread a thick, even layer. Sprinkle the tops with shaved almonds.
5. Bake the bostock pastries for 12 to 15 minutes, until the franipagne has puffed up and the shaved almonds are beginning to golden. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 558

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