BBB Buddy: Nutella Brioche Flower

I'm in the midst of some down time.  This might sound like a good deal, except I haven't had this much free time in years, and, while I dreamed about free time, once it actually happened, I'm a bit lost.  Plus, it means no income, which puts a damper on things.

However, it does mean that I can still bake bread and take my time with an intricate recipe like the Nutella Brioche Flower.

This month's challenge from the Bread Baking Babes was hosted by Cathy Warner, who chose this delicious and beautiful bread for us.  Her recipe called for a filling of Nutella, which I love, but shouldn't keep in the house for fear of wantonly consuming it.  I substituted Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter instead.  On second thought, it is equally dangerous, so I will have to hide it away.

The before-powdered sugar photo shows the lovely layering.  Somehow, the powdered-sugar-applier got overly energetic while sprinkling, leaving clumps of sugar on the bread.  Boo.  It didn't, however, affect the taste.

Try as I might, I couldn't get the flappy ends to adhere to themselves.  I pinched, and squeezed, and glued quite a few times, but to no avail. So, I just reframed the design in my mind -- yes, they are supposed to look like that.

In any case, the bread was easy to prepare and super delicious.  I did share some with my neighbor so I wouldn't be tempted.  I kept telling myself to freeze some it for later, but you know how that goes.  Me 1, freezer 0.  I know I can always make it again, and, hey, I still have cookie butter hidden somewhere in the pantry!

This was a great choice for the holidays, definitely worth repeating.

Check Cathy's website after Christmas to see all the Buddy entries.

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