Cook - Brioche

I've been meaning to post this for a while but I haven't had time till now. Before final exams, I helped my cousin make some brioche from a recipe provided Ina Garten, host of the Barefoot Contessa. You know, the lady who starts every recipe with a stick of butter. Anyways, I've never had brioche before but I was excited to make it since it was the first time I got to use the dough hook of our beloved Kitchen Aid. The recipe wasn't too difficult and quite easy to follow, but just remember to check your yeast to make sure it's still active and it's probably a smart idea to take your butter out of the refrigerator well in advance to let it soften. We didn't let it sit at room temperature because we didn't have enough much time, so we microwaved it instead.

The results were excellent, it smelt delicious and it tasted wonderful. It's a type of French bread but tastes better than your average loaf from the grocery store, probably because it contains half a pound of butter. I love the smell of fresh baked bread and the brioche had a great consistency that almost resembles a cake. We also prepared some jams to accompany the bread including blueberry jam, strawberry jam, and apple sauce. The jams were easy to make by simply combining some orange juice, frozen fruits, honey, and gelatin mix. The apple sauce is made from a traditional recipe of apples, cinnamon, and sugar, so nothing too complicated. My cousin thought the brioche wasn't worth all the work since you need to let it rise overnight but I thought it wasn't too bad. Hopefully, you will enjoy the picture and perhaps give it a try.