• To make the brioche, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, butter, milk
• and egg in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough
• hook attachment. Hook on the lowest setting for 2 minutes, then add
• the salt and hook for a further 5 minutes until the dough is sticky,
• smooth and glossy. Leave the dough in the bowl, and press plastic
• wrap directly on its surface, making sure any gaps around the side
• are sealed. Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, grease the ring of a 22 cm (81/2 inch) springform
• tin with butter, then cut strips of baking paper to line the side. Turn
• the base of the tin upside down, so it no longer has a lip. Place a piece of
• baking paper over it, then clamp the ring around it to secure.
• Scrape the dough out of the mixing bowl into the prepared tin.
• Sprinkle some flour over the top to stop your fingers from sticking,
• and press it evenly to cover the bottom of the tin.
• Cover with plastic wrap, then a clean tea towel, and allow to rise in a draught free spot
• in the house – and a warm one if possible – for about 1 hour, or until
• the dough has doubled in volume.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan - forced.
• To make the topping, combine the butter, caster sugar, milk, honey
• and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until everything
• has melted and combined. Stir in the nuts, then set aside to cool.
• Spread the topping carefully and evenly over the surface of the
• risen dough, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until an inserted
• skewer comes out clean. Cool the brioche completely, before
• removing from the tin.
• To finish, place the chilled crème pâtissière in a medium mixing
• bowl, and whisk with an electric mixer on high speed for about
• 10 seconds, to loosen the mixture. Add the cream and whisk
• until combined.
• Use a serrated knife to slice the cake in half horizontally, then
• slice the top half into 12 segments. (We only did 6 as shown.)
• Otherwise the nuts will shred the brioche on the way down and all the custard will ooze out.
• Spread the custard on the bottom half, replace the individual top
• slices, cut all the way through the bottom half and serve.
• This is best eaten on the day it is baked.

For the Creme Patissiere:

• Microwave the milk in a large heatproof bowl for 4–5 minutes on the highest setting.
• Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and extra eggs with the sugar until pale and thick. Do not allow the sugar to rest on the eggs for any length of time before whisking vigorously, or it will pickle the yolks unevenly and create a lumpy mixture. Whisk in the cornflour until smooth. Add to the hot milk, and whisk to combine.
• Microwave for 2 minutes, then whisk madly until smooth. Repeat this twice, or until the mixture is very thick and swirls stay put like whipped cream. Cool for about 5 minutes, before whisking in the butter and vanilla until combined. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes, whisking enthusiastically every 10 minutes to get rid of any steam trapped in the custard and helping it to set. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the custard, and refrigerate overnight or until completely chilled before using. When ready to use, whip together the crème pâtissière and Cointreau with an electric mixer on high speed until silky and glossy.
• If you want the crème pâtissière to be lighter, whisk in some Crème Chantilly (see page 203) or even a tiny bit of milk.