Paris-Brest
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: ~1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 6-8 slices
Country of Origin
France (Maisons-Laffitte)
Description
Created in 1910 to commemorate the famous Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race, this dessert is shaped like a bicycle wheel. It features a ring of choux pastry baked with sliced almonds, split open and filled with a decadent, nutty praline mousseline cream.
Presentation & How It's Eaten
Dusted generously with powdered sugar. It is sliced like a cake into neat wedges to showcase the beautiful swirls of praline cream inside.
Ingredients
1 batch of Choux Pastry (see Profiteroles recipe)
40g flaked (sliced) almonds
Powdered sugar for dusting
For the Praline Mousseline:
300ml Pastry Cream (see Mille-Feuille recipe)
100g hazelnut/almond praline paste
120g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
Step-by-Step Directions
Pipe Ring: Trace an 8-inch circle on parchment paper. Flip the paper over and pipe a thick ring of choux pastry over the guide line. Pipe a second ring tightly inside the first, and a third ring along the top seam of both.
Bake: Scatter flaked almonds over the dough. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 30–35 minutes until well puffed and crisp. Let cool completely, then slice horizontally into two halves.
Make Mousseline: Whisk the room-temperature pastry cream and praline paste together. Gradually beat in the softened butter until the mixture transforms into a light, fluffy, spreadable cream.
Assemble: Transfer the mousseline cream to a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe large, beautiful swirls of cream all along the bottom half of the pastry ring.
Top: Rest the almond-covered top ring gently over the cream. Dust heavily with powdered sugar.
Optional
Crunch Layer: Scatter a few crushed caramelized hazelnuts inside the ring before putting the top pastry lid on.
Cooking Tips
Temperature Match: When creating the mousseline, ensure both the pastry cream and the butter are at room temperature. If one is colder than the other, the cream will separate and curdle.
Nutrition Facts
(Estimated per serving)
Calories: ~450 kcal
Total Fat: 34g
Saturated Fat: 18g
Cholesterol: 175mg
Sodium: ~190mg
Total Carbohydrates: 30g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 16g
Protein: 8g
Comments