Bubble-Top Brioches and A Weekend In Paris

I can't tell you how long I've wanted to make this recipe for Bubble-Top Brioches from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.  I guess I could try...
Not posting on my blog for over a month and missing My French Fridays with Dorie recipes inspired me to pick a recipe out of the book that works beautifully for Thanksgiving and makes me feel like I'm back in the saddle after a much needed break from the world of blogging.  I have a lot to be thankful for and my blog always reminds me of that.  I'm thankful that I have a blog to come home to- even a neglected blog can be brought back to life especially this time of year when we're all excited about celebrating the holidays.  I'm especially thankful for my family, I can't wait to bake and share a batch of Bubble Top Brioches with them at Thanksgiving.  They really are easy, fun, rewarding to make and one substantial dinner roll to round out a Thanksgiving feast.

I'm the Paris lover in the family but can always bribe my husband Scott with any number of treats to get him on board for a visit.  Last time we visited Paris we stayed in the Marais and loved both the area and our hotel.  So, this trip we decided to stay in the Saint Germain des Pres area in the 6th arrondissement and make that our base of operations for the weekend.  We loved the location but not our hotel so next time we'll head back to our favorite in the Marais which also offers the added benefit of being close to Scott's favorite place to eat in Paris.

The Place des Vosges is the oldest and I think the most beautiful square in Paris so you do a little walking to get there from our hotel across town.  It's always good to work up an appetite in Paris especially when the scenery is so pretty and there are Scott's favorite Parisian  fallafels at the end of the trail.

Once in the Marais we headed over to our favorite fallafel stand to take our lunch in hand and savor every bite.  Did I mention that this is Scott's favorite place to eat in Paris?  Totally worth the wait on a Sunday afternoon, about 20 minutes.  Yum, I love the roasted eggplant slices they put on top, they disappear quickly!

I should also mention that a box of macarons from Dalloyau is my favorite dessert in Paris.  Especially these giant size ones which are really great for sharing but very expensive even when enjoyed on a park bench.  The flavors were chocolate, pistachio, raspberry and caramel.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody, I hope you enjoyed a few of our favorite memories of Paris as well as some pictures of my new favorite Bubble-Top Brioche rolls for a holiday dinner.
The recipe for Bubble-Top Brioches can be found in Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan or by following this link to Dorie's recipe at Epicurious.com.  Be sure to fit your stand mixer with the dough hook as called for in Around My French Table to beat the brioche dough.  Also, make sure to do an extra good job buttering your muffin cups as the rolls have a tendency to stick in the pan after baking.  I just linked this post up to French Fridays with Dorie's make your own choice from Around My French Table.  Please check out the other links in this Thanksgiving weekend potluck of recipes.