Pecan & pumpkin brioche cake - Halloween

Here I am again with very autumnal little tropezienne brioche cake ! Butternut brioches in the shape of a pumpkin, filled with a vanilla and pecan cream, that will make a nice effect on your Halloween table or for any occasion in the next few weeks 😊 You can of course replace the butternut by pumpkin if you prefer, add spices (speculoos, ginger, nutmeg...), in short adapt the recipe to your taste!
 
 

 
 Prep time : 1h30 + 15 minutes cooking
 For a dozen brioche cakes :

 Pécan Praliné:

 500g pecans
 300g sugar
 50g water
 A pinch of fleur de sel
 
 Roast the pecans in the oven preheated to 150°C for 15 minutes. During this time, prepare the caramel with the sugar and water. When it is golden, pour it over the pecans, add the fleur de sel and let it crystallize.
 When the caramel is cooled and hard, mix it until you obtain a smooth praliné.

 The butternut brioche :

 15g fresh yeast
 180g whole milk
 600g flour
 60g sugar
 10g salt
 2 eggs
 150g butternut puree
 160g butter
 
 Put the crumbled yeast in the bottom of the bowl of the food processor fitted with the kneading acessory. Add the slightly warm milk, then cover with the flour. Add the eggs, sugar and salt.
 
 

 
 Knead for a few minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides and is smooth.
 
 

 
 Add the cold butternut puree (for the puree, steam cubes of butternut, drain them well, then mix them and take 150g), and knead again until the dough comes off the sides of the bowl.
 
 

 

 
 Add the butter cut into small pieces and knead for at least 10 to 15 minutes, the dough should again come away from the walls and be quite elastic.
 
 

 
 Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Then place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, overnight if possible.  The next day, divide the dough into 12 equal balls.
 
 

 
 Wrap a string loosely around each ball of dough as the dough will still rise before and during baking.
 
 

 

 
 Let the brioches grow for an hour or so, then brush the brioches with a beaten egg.
 
 

 
 Bake in the preheated oven at 190°C for 15 minutes, then let cool on a rack.
 

 
 The vanilla/pecan cream :

 150g whole milk
 200g full cream (1)
 3 eggs
 2 egg yolks
 100g sugar
 60g cornstarch
 50g pecan puree
 1 vanilla bean
 400g full cream 35% (2)
 
 Heat the milk and cream (1) with the seeds of the vanilla bean.
Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar, then add the cornstarch.
 
 

 
 Pour the hot liquid over the eggs, mixing well, then return to the pan. Thicken over medium heat, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and add the pecan puree. Put a plastic wrap on contact and cool completely in the refrigerator.
 
 

 
 When the pastry cream is cold, whip the liquid cream (2) until it is not too stiff and add it gently to the pastry cream. Pour the diplomate cream into a piping bag and assemble.

 

 
 Assembly :

 About 30 pecans 
 Maple syrup 
 Pecan praliné 
 Powdered sugar 
 
 Cut the brioches in half. 
 
 

 
 Pour a little maple syrup on the base of the brioches, spread with a brush.
 
 

 

 

 
 Pipe some diplomate cream, then add some pecan praline in the center. Add a few pieces of pecans, then cover with cream. Place the "hat" on the brioches, and cut the pecans in half to make the pumpkin tail.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 Let the brioches rest for at least one hour in the refrigerator, then enjoy!