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# Cheese Brioche Swirls

Soft brioche swirls filled with mascarpone, vanilla and lemon zest, baked in a muffin pan and served warm with powdered sugar.

## What you need

### Dough

- 4½ cups all-purpose flour (4 cups; bread flour is best)
- 2 tsp instant yeast (2 tsp)
- ½ cup sugar (1/2 cup)
- 7 tbsp butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup light cream (15% fat) (1 carton)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tsp salt

### Vanilla mascarpone filling

- 18 oz mascarpone, at room temperature (2 packages)
- ½ cup sugar (1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- grated zest of 1/4 lemon
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup cornstarch (1/4 cup)

### To serve

- powdered sugar

## How I make it

### Dough

1. In a stand mixer with the dough hook, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, butter, cream, eggs and salt.
2. Knead on low speed for 12-15 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft.
3. Shape into a ball and place in a bowl. Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours, until doubled.

### Vanilla mascarpone filling

1. In a bowl, mix the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth.
2. Add the egg and cornstarch and mix until spreadable.

### Shaping

1. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one half into a rectangle about 1/8 inch (3-4 mm) thick.
2. Spread half the filling over it in an even layer.
3. Roll up tightly into a log.
4. Slice into swirls and place in a well-greased muffin pan.
5. Repeat with the second half of the dough and the rest of the filling.
6. Cover and let rise for 30-40 minutes, until puffy.

### Baking

1. Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C).
2. Bake for 18-25 minutes, until golden and set.
3. Let cool slightly, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

## What I've learned

- These are best the day they're baked, while still warm.
- They keep in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to a month. I thaw them at room temperature and warm them briefly in the oven before serving.
- The dough works with any filling you like.
- Instead of mascarpone, you can use full-fat cream cheese; the flavor will change accordingly.
- Sometimes I add raisins, blueberries, dried cranberries, mixed berries, chocolate chips or nuts to the filling.
- The lemon zest gives the filling a lovely aroma; I never leave it out.

Source: https://chefef.com/en-us/recipes/cheese-brioche-swirls/