There’s nothing like a warm drink as the end of the year comes around. With a bit of spice and with all the warming spices, these Chai Spiced Brioche Tarts are the perfect accompaniment for any cup of tea, coffee, hot toddy, or cocoa. With a buttery brioche base and a tangy, spiced cheesecake filling, these tarts are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or any time of day when you just feel you need to get cozy with a good book and a pastry.
It’s no secret that I love a brioche tart and have been trying to make the most of these things this year. The brioche dough is like a warm hug surrounding the cheesecake filling of these Chai Spices tarts, and there’s nothing like biting into warm, soft dough with a crunch of sugar and the creaminess of the filling.
I just need to put out there that making bread dough can be a wonderfully therapeutic process, and honestly, I feel like that gives even more reason to make these tarts. Granted, most of the kneading is done in a stand mixer–if you love yourself a sticky dough, you are free to knead by hand–but even just the process of shaping and the smell of the dough are enough to get some serotonin flowing. In all honesty, I should just have a full on bread bakery going on here.
These are the perfect treats for a cold, rainy day or a warm, sticky evening depending on where in the world you are. They warm you from the inside and personally, I can’t get enough. Any tart that can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert is a clear winner.
| Prep Time | 45-60 minutes |
| Cook Time | 17-20 minutes |
| Passive Time | 12-24 hours |
| Servings |
tarts
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- 75 mL milk (whole, 2%, or nonfat will work)
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 320 grams bread flour (divided into 60 grams, 240 grams, and 20 grams)
- 12 grams granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 eggs large, room temperature
- 200 grams unsalted butter softened
- 113 grams cream cheese softened
- 2 Tbsp sour cream room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp chai spice*
Ingredients
Spiced Vanilla Brioche Dough
Chai Cheesecake Filling
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- In a small saucepan, heat up the milk until it just reaches 110°F. If you don't have a thermometer, you can stick a clean finger in to feel when it is just a bit warm.
- Transfer the milk to a large liquid measuring cup or the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the active dry yeast on top of the milk and stir in. Allow to sit and bubble for 10-15 minutes.
- Once the yeast has activated, transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in 60 grams of bread flour. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap and a clean towel. Allow the sponge to rise about 90 minutes or until double in size.
- After the sponge has doubled in size, knock the air out of it and add in the other 240 grams of bread flour, granulated sugar, ground ginger, ground cardamom, and salt. Place the bowl on the stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix until the flour is moistened. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
- Add the softened butter 1 Tbsp at a time on low, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Occasionally scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure nothing gets stuck on the side. After all the butter has been incorporated, raise the speed to medium and continue to mix for and additional 8-10 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the dough with the additional 20 grams of bread flour and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Turn the mixer on medium to medium-high until the dough is smooth and shiny and begins to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Lightly grease a large bowl. Using the rubber spatula, help push the dough out of the mixing bowl and into the greased bowl. It should stretch a bit but plop straight out. You may need to use the spatula to scrape the last bit of the dough off the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and a clean towel. Allow to rest in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours until about doubled in size.
- Refrigerate the dough for 6-8 hours, or overnight.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Knock the air out of the dough. Cut the dough into 7 equal-sized pieces, about 100 grams each. Roll each piece of dough between your hands into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave plenty of space in between for flattening/shaping later. Cover the baking sheets with a greased piece of plastic wrap and a clean towel. Allow to rest for 40-60 minutes, the dough balls should rise a bit while resting.
- While the dough is rising, prepare the cheesecake filling. In a medium bowl using a wooden spoon or using a mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth and combined. Add in the vanilla, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp lemon juice, salt, and chai spice mix. Beat until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F, making sure a rack is placed at the center of the oven.
- Once the balls of dough are slightly larger, it's time to shape. Using clean fingertips, gently flatten each ball of dough until you have a circle that is about 4-5 inches across in diameter. Spread about 1 Tbsp (or a little more) of cheesecake in the center, making sure to leave just about an inch of dough around it. Brush around the edges with egg wash or melted butter and sprinkle with raw sugar.
- Bake one baking sheet at a time for 17-20 minutes, until a light golden brown. The cheesecake will be set and you should be able to feel if the tarts are baked through by touch.
- Allow to tarts to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy while still slightly warm or seal in an airtight container and warm up to enjoy.
** You can use any chai spice mix that you like! I still have a bunch from when I made a full batch of this mix from Fit Foodie Finds (1 tsp cardamom, 1 tsp allspice, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cloves, 1 Tbsp ginger) that I keep on hand in the pantry. If you want a bit more of a kick, you can add some pepper to the mix like this Lively Table version.