Brioche Gnocchi

I wish I had a clever answer as to why I wanted to make brioche gnocchi.  I do not.  Rather, we ended up at Balthazar bakery picking up some brioche for a friend who just needs the stuff.  I knew we were headed to the bakery on this mission and somehow as the thoughts of brioche bounced around my brain, the idea of gnocchi decided to join in.  Brioche gnocchi are really not that far of a stretch from our pumpernickel gnocchi or for that matter bread dumplings.  As the idea of being able to have gnocchi flavored like brioche grew in my head, I began to think of all the possibilities we now had.  Then it got really hot out.  I am not complaining, well not much.  It is just as I suggested pairings to Aki she would shudder and say too heavy, too rich.  Well, with Aki's mantra playing in the background, I set about making brioche gnocchi.  When the base was made, I poached the dough and tasted the result.  Heck if these little dumplings did not capture the essence of brioche.  Only one problem, too heavy, too rich, especially on an 80 degree day.  Then I wondered if we could saute the poached gnocchi, add some texture which would take away from the richness or at least fool the palate and mind into thinking they were lighter.  And so I did.  I poached the gnocchi and then browned the outside of them.  The browning increased the flavor of the toasted brioche and the inside remained tender with some body.  Today we paired the gnocchi with some shaved apple, tarragon and minus 8 vinegar.  Though in the future, I see these with roasted foie gras and summer fruits or in a stew of spring vegetables or as a side dish to a strawberry and rhubarb salad.  It just took the minor adjustment of browning the outside of these gnocchi to take them from the too rich, too heavy to a more approachable, palatable and easily integrated ingredient.