This recipe is adapted from Magnolia Kitchen (Allen & Unwin, 2019) by Bernadette Gee. She first started a bakery stall at Kumeu and Hobsonville Point farmers market in Auckland around 8 years ago and by 2016 had her own cafe in Silverdale. She swears like a trooper throughout her book - what a hoot.

Makes 8 large brioche

2 eggs

50 caster sugar

1/2 tbsp salt

240ml milk

10g dry yeast

170g butter

560g flour

almond filling:

75g almond meal

75g melted butter

2 tsp cinnamon

150g brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

peach filling:

150g canned peaches, drained and chopped

75g desiccated coconut

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt.

Pour the milk in a large microwave-proof bowl and heat in microwave until lukewarm (45C-52C). Stir in the yeast, then pour into your bowl and mix together.

In the same bowl you heated the milk, melt the butter. Pour into your bowl and mix. Add in the flour and mix with your hands or a spoon until the dough starts coming together. Transfer to a clean surface and knead for about 10 min until dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and place in the bowl you used for the milk and butter. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for at least 3 hours in the fridge or overnight.

Line a 23 cm round cake tin with baking paper. Remove dough from fridge and knead a few times on a clean surface dusted with flour. Shape the dough into a long rectangle about 40cm x 10cm. Spread almond filling evenly on top then scatter over peaches and coconut. 

Starting from the long end, roll up dough into a tight spiral. Cut into 5cm long pieces and place cut side up around your tin, about 1cm apart, finishing with one in the centre. Cover with cling film and place somewhere warm to proof for an hour or so.

Preheat oven to 160C. Remove cling film and place a tray or foil on top of your tin. Bake for 20 min then remove the tray. Bake for a further 25 min until brioche are golden brown. Insert a skewer to test if the brioche is cooked through.

Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool for about 10 min before transferring to a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Bernadette suggests a few flavour variations: macadamia & dark chocolate, raspberry & chocolate, maple & pecan, orange & dark chocolate, peach & white chocolate, mango & coconut. I decided on peach and coconut. In my opinion the fruit was a fresh and tasty counterpoint to the rich, sweet almond filling.