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Paris-Brest

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Paris-Brest

Cuisine:French

Course:Dessert

30m prep 35m cook 1h 5m ready

8 to 10 servings This classic French dessert was created in honor of the Paris-Brest bicycle race, the circular shape of the dessert representing a wheel. It is a ring of choux pastry topped with almonds and filled with a praline-flavored buttercream. We can think of nothing but good things to say about such a dessert. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw an 8-inch circle on the parchment paper and flip it over.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 1
    • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup (135g) milk or water, or ½ cup each milk and water
    • 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
    • (1 tablespoon [10g] sugar)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Measure and have ready: 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
    2. Combine in a large saucepan: 1 cup (135g) milk or water, or ½ cup each milk and water; 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; (1 tablespoon [10g] sugar); ½ teaspoon salt
    3. Bring the mixture to a full boil over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. The mixture will look rough at first but it will suddenly become smooth, at which point you should stir faster. The butter may ooze out, which is fine. In a few minutes, the paste will become dry and not cling to the spoon or the sides of the pan, and when the spoon is pressed on it lightly, it will leave a smooth imprint. Do not overcook or overstir at this point, or the dough will fail to puff. Transfer the dough to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and let cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spoon or with the paddle attachment.
    4. Add one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition with a wooden spoon, or on low speed with a mixer: 4 large eggs, at room temperature
    5. Make sure that the paste is smooth each time before adding the next egg. Continue to beat until the dough is smooth and shiny. The proper consistency has been reached when a small quantity of the dough will stand erect if scooped up on the end of a spoon. The paste can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours; you do not need to bring the paste to room temperature before shaping.
  • 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds
  • 1
    • French Praline
    • Frangelico
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Stir ⅓ to ½ cup French Praline, finely chopped toasted nuts, or sweetened or unsweetened canned chestnut puree into French Buttercream or Meringue Buttercream I or II. If desired, stir in (1 to 2 tablespoons Frangelico).
  • Powdered sugar

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 1 Choux Paste, using the optional sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds
  • 1 Praline or Nut Buttercream
  • Powdered sugar

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Prepare: Choux Paste, using the optional sugar

  2. Step 2.

    Scoope the paste into a pastry bag fitted with a ¾-inch star or plain tip. Pipe a ring of choux paste onto the parchment paper along the circle, then pipe another ring just inside the first. The two rings should touch so they fuse together during baking. Pipe a third ring on top of the first two, along the seam made where the first two rings meet. Brush with: 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

  3. Step 3.

    Sprinkle generously with: ¼ cup sliced almonds

  4. Step 4.

    Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until golden and puffed, about 20 minutes more. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

  5. Step 5.

    While the pastry cools, prepare: Praline or Nut Buttercream

  6. Step 6.

    With a serrated knife, slice the choux pastry ring horizontally in half like you would a cake layer. Transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a ¾-inch star tip. Pipe the filling in a decorative pattern on the bottom ring of choux pastry. Place the top ring on top of the filling and dust with: Powdered sugar

  7. Step 7.

    Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 day. Allow the dessert to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

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