Chocolate Cream Brioche (How to Make Lion Bread)

Fun brioche to make for your kids and their friends. The lion's mane itself makes 16 servings :) And if you'd like to make cookies and cream instead chocolate cream as the filling, check out the note!

1 C lukewarm milk

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tbsp each of sugar and flour

3 1/2 c AP flour

a pinch of salt

1/3 c sugar

2 yolks

3 heaping tbsp butter (sometimes I add 5 tbsp, for more buttery result), room temperature

Mix milk, sugar, flour and yeast, let bloom for 10-15 minutes. If your yeast is still good, even 5 minutes it will be bloomed already. Mix flour, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the center, add in yolk, butter, and pour in yeast mixture. Mix with either wooden spoon or your hands. Knead and let rest covered in warm place for 20 minutes.

Filling:

250 g cream cheese spread

1 c oreo crumbs (or chocolate cookie crumbs) - store bought

3 tbsp chocolate sauce (for ice cream topping)

Mix all well

Additional

2 chocolate chips for eyes

more chocolate chips to be melted for a smile

Divide dough into 5 portions where each portion would make nose, ears, mouth, face, and mane

Fill each portion for nose, mouth and face with filling and shape into nose, mouth and face

Roll flat portion for ears, and with round cutter, make a pair of ears

Add the left over dough from ears to mane portion, knead to log

Roll flat the log to rectangle and spread the rest of the filling

Roll again into a log and slice with a knife as shown on picture

Meet the two end sides of the sliced log and shape a ring, and place it on baking sheet

Place the face, mouth, nose and ears, making a lion face

Place to chocolate chips as eyes

Bake on preheated 350 F for 25-30 minutes

Take out from oven and let cool to room temperature before piping a smile

Enjoy~

NOTE: for cookies and cream filling, omit chocolate sauce. Spread cream cheese and sprinkle with oreo crumbs (preferable homemade instead store bought as the bought one usually is very fine compares to the homemade one)