I have some pretty decent Google-fu but I'm coming up empty, too. I found two bakeries selling very similar confections as "sugar buns" (pastry cream-filled brioche buns topped with coarse sugar), and one bakery that calls it "custard brioche," but neither of these is really a French-sounding name in the sense you meant. In the more cake-like department, the technique seems similar to Bienenstich, so maybe it was a fusion of that and brioche? In the searching, btw, I found lots of places selling burgers on brioche buns, but one place suggested taking these kinds of buns (perhaps without the sugar on top) and using them for breakfast sliders—sliced and filled with egg, sausage or bacon, and melted cheese. That may be a good reason to bake these buns without the sugar, or to double the recipe! :-) It's close to Bienenstich, but without the almonds. Thanks for the reminder that brioche makes spectacular burger buns, too... PJH

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