Today is National Brioche Day and I have Mediterranean flavors fresh on the tongue. France has a Mediterranean side, so I’ll meander to brioche by way of a Mediterranean cupcake.
Earlier this month, Sprinkles offered a limited-time olive oil cupcake made with Mandarin olive oil cake, a fig jam core, and a Kosterina olive oil buttercream topping. This critic approves! I was impressed that the olive oil flavor was genuinely discernible. If it were on the regular menu, it’d definitely be a staple of a hypothetical Mediterranean cupcake diet.
This flawless doughnut brings us to National Brioche Day. It’s a bestseller at the acclaimed Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery. The menu describes it as follows: “tender brioche dough is taken to new heights as our doughnut, which is gently kissed with vanilla pastry cream and dipped in sugar mixed with ground vanilla beans.” Amen to that.
I visited Boston in late April for Year of Cupcakes in the Delicious Metropolis fieldwork. Stay tuned for the full report.
With regards to brioche, these attractive numbers tempted at Boston’s Flour Bakery. In a possible lapse of judgement, I didn’t order order one. Next time.
It was too early for Flour’s cupcakes to be out, so I filled my plate with other items. The brioche buns’ shape is cupcakey enough to allow me to conclude with a connection back to cupcakes of a Mediterranean mind.
Andrea Adleman | Cupcakologist 