Paris Brest: Deliciously rich choux pastry

A Paris-Brest is a traditional French pastry named after a bicycle race between Paris and the city of Brest in Brittany, it was created in 1910. The shape of the pastry represents the wheel of the bicycle (it’s better than the real wheel because you can eat it, haha).

Paris Brest

Because I made the praline paste (the request from many people), I have to find some recipe to use it, and “Paris Brest” is the best answer. It consists of a baked almond-topped choux pastry ring that is split and filled with a praline-flavored buttercream (Oh! yes, I use my home made praline ^^).

The recipe comes from: ………………… the recipes in this book made by one of famous Japanese cooking academy Tsuji (in the movie these is the place that Tomura a legendary pastry chef teaches after his daughter’s accident). I bought this book before I had a chance to watch theis movie “…………..” (All the cakes and pastries in the movie are cute, the story is lovely but if you never watch Japanese movie before you may think that the tone of the movie is quite strange). I choose this recipe because it’s very easy and quite small. The praline cream is a rich custard base buttercream (reminds me of La crème au beurre but a lot easier). Because the pastry is very rich, so it will be good to serve it with a cup of hot tea.

Paris Brest

Makes 6 (10cm pastry)

Chox pastry
100g …………………………. Water
1g ……………………………… Salt
45g ……………………………. Unsalted butter
60g ……………………………. Cake flour
100g ………………………….. Eggs

Egg wash
1 ………………………………… Egg mix with 1tbsp of water

…………………………………… Sliced almonds

Praline cream
150g …………………………… Whipping cream
60g …………………………….. Egg yolks
40g …………………………….. Sugar
200g …………………………… Unsalted butter
150g ……………………………. Praline paste

…………………………………….. Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 200°C
Sift the flour and set aside.
Line the sheet pan with baking paper. Mark 6 (10cm) circles on a baking paper.

Bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Remove from heat, add flour all at once, blend well, stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture no longer sticks to pan and forms into a ball. Reduce heat to low and return pan to stove, beating for 2-3 minute Remove from heat.

Whisk in eggs one at a time (a little at a time, you might not need all of them).When the batter is smooth and glossy, test with your finger, you will be able to stretch it.

Fill a pastry bag with the pastry and, using a 1.3cm plain nozzle, squeeze the pastry to make 10cm circle on to the prepared baking sheets allowing space for them to rise separately.
Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sliced almond.
Bake for 35-40minutes or light and holds its shape.

Praline cream:

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light, boil the cream, then slowly whisk it into the egg yolk mixture. Put the saucepan over low heat, stir all the time and heat until 82°C.
Let the mixture cool completely.
Beat the butter and praline paste together and strain the custard through the fine sieve into the butter mixture.
Beat until fluffy.
Put the praline into the a pastry bag with a star nozzle

Cut the pastry in half, pipe the cream over half of the pastry and cover with the top of the pastry.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Dust with icing sugar before serving.