A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)
Our weekend ritual of going to the Farmer’s Market is a two-pronged mission. After stocking up on fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables we turn our attention to the artisanal products that are peppered throughout the market. Smoked salts, leaf lard from the meat guy, olive oils from family orchards, bread, and fresh tofu. I invariably stop at the Manresa bread stall. I have a weak spot for their Kouign Aman and their Bostock.
Bostock? Yep, glorified TOAST, 4-5 bucks a slice. Call it a guilty pleasure. A slice of buttery brioche with a layer of orange marmalade or strawberry rhubarb jam, topped with an almond frangipane and a generous sprinkle of sliced almonds. Baked, finished with a blanket of powdered sugar. So good.
I probably won’t attempt to make Kouign Aman but Bostock, that’s a different story. It’s toast on steroids when you think about it. A recipe for Bostock from the blog The Little Epicurean looked delicious and sounded very doable. Time to stop the 5 dollar toast madness and make my own. I love her photo and as they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Making Bostock pictogram starts with brioche, slather with preserves, coat with almond frangipane and top with sliced almonds. Pop it in the oven. Badabing, badaboom, done.
Ok, I did cheat a little, store-bought brioche (Trader Joe’s Brioche-thumbs up) makes this a quick and easy recipe. I used a homemade strawberry-blueberry jam but feel free to use any jam you like. The almond frangipane is made of butter, almonds, sugar and an egg whirled to a smooth creamy paste in a food processor. As I pulled the slices out of the oven the aroma of butter, sugar and almond filled the kitchen. Life is good, especially if you have fresh baked Bostock.
A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)
Ingredients
- 6 thick slices of brioche challah, or enriched milk bread
- 6 Tablespoons orange marmalade or your choice of jam
- Almond frangipane spread recipe follows
- Sliced almonds as needed
- Confectioners' sugar to dust
Almond Frangipane Spread:
- 1 cup almonds sliced or whole
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick silicone mat. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of orange marmalade over bread. Top with 3 tablespoons of almond frangipane spread. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until almonds are golden and bread is toasted.
- Transfer bread to cool rack to prevent bottom from getting soggy. Dust warm bostock with sifted confections' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Almond Frangipane Spread:
- In a food processor, pulse together almonds and half of sugar until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl.
- In same food processor, process together butter, remaining sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract, egg, and cream until smooth.
- Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing. Add ground nut mixture and pulse until thoroughly combined.
- Use almond frangipane spread immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Allow to soften to room temperature before use.