Starting Early

With December being just around the corner nothing could possibly stop me from switching all of my baking into traditional Christmas mode. Over the following weeks I'm going to make sure the entire house smells of the most scrumptious ingredients, originally assigned to everyone's favourite holiday! Poppy seeds, nuts, candied fruits... you all have been missed for a long time!

Poppy Seed Brioche Croissants:

1. Start with the recipe for a simple Brioche Dough which can be made the day ahead and chilled in the fridge overnight.

2. Prior to baking your croissants prepare a poppy seed filling:

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar (plus additional 2 tablespoons)

1 cup poppy seeds (ground in a coffee grinder)
1/3 cup candied orange peel (chopped into small bits)

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 large egg
Heat all the ingredients (except for the egg) in a small saucepan and simmer until poppy seeds absorb the entire liquid. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Beat the egg and 2 tablespoons of sugar until thick and light in colour, then fold it into the cooled poppy seed mixture.

3. To assemble the croissants: cut dough into half and set one piece aside. Roll the first piece into a 30cm diameter circle. Using a sharp knife cut it into eight equal wedges. Spread each of them with a heaping tablespoon of poppy seed filling. Starting from the base of the wedge, roll each one up and curve into a crescent shape. Place them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and cover with a plastic wrap. Let rise for about 20 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly, then brush with the icing of choice. Some toasted hazelnuts sprinkled on top are an absolute MUST in this case!