Celebrate Christmas Morning with a Cranberry Orange Brioche Star

For a large chunk of this year, I've had the sweet pleasure of living under the same roof as a spritely little miss who is completely obsessed with brioche, or as she says it "baweeyoche!" Always with an exclamation mark. And since there are few things quite as enchanting as a warm festive sweet bread on Christmas morning, I decided this would be my pièce de résistance this year. It does not disappoint.

First thing that must be said, although this recipe might give the impression of being complicated, it's actually relatively easy. The dough can be ready in about 20 minutes flat (with a stand mixer), and then allowed to rise and rest overnight (or for up to two days in the fridge) so that all you have to do on Christmas morning is assemble it, let it rise again, and bake it. The showy star is achieved by rolling out the dough and sandwiching it with bright red jam, then making cuts in a circular pattern and twisting the ends together. I use cranberry jam which takes just 10 minutes to make (use organic cranberries if you can find them because conventional cranberries are grown in a bit of a chemical soup, unfortunately). If you prefer, you can substitute any jam of your choice.

This brioche throws some dazzle and flair on the Christmas breakfast table, it also makes a unique gift to bring to friends and family.

If youre looking for more savory Christmas breakfast recipe ideas, be sure to check out my post from last year on Tourte Milanaise, and two years ago on Kale and Sun-dried Tomato Strata!

Please let me know if you make this in the comments below. May you and yours have a delightful holiday season, surrounded by good food and your loved ones.

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine's Best Food Blog award in the video category.