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Gingerbread Brioche Doughnuts with Egg Nog Pastry Cream

Rich, soft brioche doughnuts filled with an egg nog pastry cream and sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar
Course Dessert
Keyword brioche, brioche doughnuts, egg nog, pastry cream
Servings 16 doughnuts

Ingredients

Doughnuts

  • 1 tbsp yeast
  • 1 3/4 cups milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 3 eggs, large
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened

Pastry Cream

  • 3/4 cup egg nog
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 large egg yolks

Filling

  • pastry cream
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar

Garnish

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 can vanilla Frosting

Instructions

Doughnuts

  • Warm milk in the microwave to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Add milk, 1/4 cup sugar and yeast to a standing mixer bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Put on the dough hook attachment and let dough mix until blended. Add butter one tablespoon at a time until it is fully incorporated. Continue to allow dough to knead for 2 minutes. Remove bowl from standing mixer. Cover with a towel and let dough proof for 1 1/2- 2 hours. Transfer dough to a smaller bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

    The next day, divide dough in half. Roll each piece of dough into a rectangle until it’s about 3/4-1 inch thick. Use a 3 1/2-4 inch gingerbread cookie cutter to cut out gingerbread people. Gather the scraps and re-roll the dough and cut out more gingerbread men. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
    Cut out parchment paper squares for each doughnut, sprinkle them with flour and place the doughnuts on top. This will make it easier to place them into the oil. Allow the doughnuts to rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour.
    Heat a large pot of oil to about 360-375 degrees. Use a candy thermometer to get the exact temperature. Gently place each doughnut into the oil using the parchment squares. Fry until golden brown turning once. Place on a baking rack with a baking pan underneath when done. Completely cover each doughnut with cinnamon and sugar.
    Place sugared doughnuts on a baking sheet. 
Place pastry cream in a piping bag with a piping tip attached. Pipe pastry cream into the back of each doughnut until filled.
    Place canned vanilla frosting in a piping bag with a medium sized round tip. Pipe 2 button sized dots on the front of each gingerbread man.

Pastry Cream

  • Warm the egg nog in a saucepan until you start to see wisps of steam. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Add the egg yolks and whisk them into the dry ingredients. Pour a little of the hot liquid into the eggs and whisk to combine. Continue pouring the liquid slowly into the eggs, whisking continuously. When all the liquid has been added to the eggs, pour everything back into the saucepan. Set the pan back over medium heat. Whisk constantly. When it has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, remove the pan from heat but keep stirring until the mixture is smooth. Pour into a bowl and cover or into an air tight container. Place into the refrigerator overnight or for 2 hours.

Filling

  • Beat heavy cream and sugar in a bowl until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream. Place into a piping bag with a Bismark Metal Piping Tip.