The Paris-Brest is a classic French pastry made with a choux pastry ring topped with a rich hazelnut-flavored praline cream.
Ingredients
- water
- milk
- unsalted butter
- salt
- sugar
- all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- butter
- brown sugar
- flour
- milk
- 1 vanilla bean
- 4 egg yolks
- sugar
- cornstarch
- softened unsalted butter
- hazelnut praline paste
- slivered almonds
- confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the craquelin by mixing the butter, brown sugar, and flour until a homogeneous paste is obtained. Roll out thinly between two sheets of parchment paper and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- In a saucepan, heat the water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar until boiling.
- Remove from heat and add the flour all at once. Mix vigorously then return to medium heat to dry the dough for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and incorporate the eggs one by one until a smooth and shiny dough is obtained.
- Poke a large crown on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Place pieces of craquelin on top and sprinkle with slivered almonds.
- Bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes until the dough is well golden brown. Let cool completely.
- For the whipped cream, heat the milk with vanilla.
- Beat the egg yolks with sugar then add cornstarch.
- Pour the hot milk over the mixture while beating then return to saucepan. Cook until thickened.
- Cool the pastry cream with plastic wrap in contact.
- Beat the softened butter then gradually incorporate the cooled pastry cream and praline paste until a light texture is obtained.
- Cut the choux pastry crown in half horizontally.
- Poke generously the pralined whipped cream inside then close with the top of the crown.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
- Note: The Paris-Brest is even better after a few hours of rest in the refrigerator. Using homemade praline paste adds an even more intense and authentic flavor.
