Prep. Time: Relatively long (plan to make the dough the night before)
Cooking Time: Allow one hour in total

The prepared, but unbaked, kougelhopfs can be frozen. In this case, bake them for 40 minutes at 180° C. To accompany them, I suggest a little glass of kirsch.

  Making the flaky brioche dough (the night before)

1. Dissolve the yeast in the milk.
2. In a large bowl, add the ingredients in the following order: flour, salt, sugar, eggs and the dissolved yeast.
3. Mix well and beat the dough for about ten minutes, lifting and turning it by hand, until it is smooth and elastic.
4. Add the softened butter (for kneading). Continue working the dough until it is no longer sticky and comes off your hands easily. Place it in a container and cover with a damp cloth. Let rest in a cool place overnight.

Turning the dough (successive folds)

1. The next day, lightly flour a work surface and punch the dough down into a ball.
2. Make four incisions on the top of the dough to form a cross-shape; do not cut through the middle of the circle.
3. With a rolling pin, roll out the four sides to make a large cross, as you would for classic puff pastry.
4. Place the softened butter (for the turns) in the middle of the dough. The butter should be almost the same consistency as the dough.
5. Fold over the four sides to create an envelope. Without using too much pressure, roll out the package to create a rectangle approximately 10 by 15 centimetres.
6. Fold the dough into three (like a letter) and let rest in a cool place for 20 minutes. Repeat this rolling and folding procedure two more times.

Pastry Cream

1. Bring the milk to a boil.
2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light, then add in the flour or corn starch, and then the boiling milk while whisking continuously.
3. Return to the heat, removing the saucepan from the heat as soon as the mixture begins to boil. Cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap (so that it does not form a skin) and let cool.

Making the cinnamon kirsch ice cream

1. Make it as you would a cinnamon ice cream, adding in the kirsch just before you put the mixture in the ice cream maker.

Sour cherry coulis

1. In a saucepan, bring the 200 g sour cherries to a boil with 200 ml water and the fine sugar.
2. Let cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Purée in a blender and put through a fine strainer. Correct the consistency by adding a little water if necessary and a drop of lemon juice.

Kougelhopf filling

1. Using a wooden spoon, incorporate the 150 g sour cherries and the 40 ml kirsch into the pastry cream.
2. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, gradually adding in the fine sugar while beating, and then gently fold the meringue into the pastry cream mixture.

Assembling the kougelhopfs

1. Brush four individual kougelhopf molds with butter and place a flaked almond into each indentation in the bottom of the molds.
2. Roll out the flaky brioche dough with a rolling pin.
3. Cut out four discs, 9 cm in diameter and 2 to 3 mm thick, as well as four discs of the same thickness but only 4 cm in diameter.
4. Line the interior of each mold with a 9 cm disc.
5. Divide the kougelhopf filling between the four molds, then cover with the smaller discs, carefully sealing the edges.

Baking and finishing the kougelhopfs

1. Bake the kougelhopfs in a 200° C oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven, unmold them and dust with icing sugar.
2. Arrange the warm kougelhopfs in the middle of four plates and surround each with a ring of sour cherry coulis.
3. Sprinkle with flaked almonds. Serve the cinnamon kirsch ice cream separately.