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Paris-Brest

17/11/2023

The Paris-Brest is a delicacy of French patisserie, created in homage to the famous cycling race that connected Paris to Brest. This dessert consists of a choux pastry ring filled with a creamy praline mousseline cream. It is said that its round shape recalls that of a bicycle wheel. Here’s how to make a Paris-Brest with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

  • 125 ml of water
  • 125 ml of milk
  • 100 g of butter
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 150 g of type 00 flour
  • 4-5 eggs (depending on size)

For the praline mousseline cream:

  • 500 ml of milk
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 140 g of granulated sugar
  • 40 g of type 00 flour
  • 40 g of cornstarch
  • 200 g of soft butter
  • 100 g of praline paste (or hazelnut spread for an Italian touch)

For decoration:

  • Sliced almonds
  • Powdered sugar

Preparation

  1. In a pot, bring water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil.
  2. Add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until you get a dough that detaches from the sides of the pot.
  3. Remove the pot from the heat and let the dough cool down slightly.
  4. Incorporate the eggs one at a time, mixing until you get a smooth and shiny mixture.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  6. Transfer the dough into a pastry bag with a smooth nozzle and form choux pastry rings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  7. Bake and cook for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
  8. Once baked, let the choux pastry ring cool on a wire rack.

For the praline mousseline cream:

  1. Bring milk with the split vanilla pod to a boil and let it infuse for a few minutes.
  2. In a bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar, then add sifted flour and cornstarch.
  3. Pour the hot milk over the yolks, after removing the vanilla pod, and stir.
  4. Transfer the mixture back to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until the cream thickens.
  5. Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and let it cool completely.
  6. When the cream is cold, work the soft butter in a bowl until creamy and incorporate it into the cream, add the praline paste as well and mix until you get a smooth mousseline cream.

Assembly:

  1. Horizontally cut the cooled choux pastry ring.
  2. Stuff the base with mousseline cream using a pastry bag.
  3. Cover with the top of the choux pastry ring and decorate with sliced almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Curiosity

Although the Paris-Brest is typically French, you can add that Italian touch by replacing the praline paste with a hazelnut spread, perhaps homemade for an even more authentic flavor. And if you want to explore other traditions, you might also flavor the cream with an Italian liqueur, such as Frangelico, to emphasize the taste of hazelnut.

Paris-Brest