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–+ servings

Paris-Brest

Desserts
A Paris-Brest is a golden choux pastry that shatters when you bite into it, then gives way to the most ridiculously creamy praline filling you'll ever taste. The praline mousseline is silky smooth buttercream infused with proper caramelised hazelnut paste. It's nutty, sweet and has deep toasted flavour. The contrast between the crisp pastry shell (scattered with crunchy almonds) and that rich, creamy filling is absolutely brilliant.
Paris-Brest recipe
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 8

Ingredients 

For the choux pastry
For the praline
For the praline mousseline cream

Equipment

Instructions

1. Draw your template

  1. Get a 20cm plate and trace a circle on your baking paper. Flip it over so the pencil mark's on the bottom. You'll pipe your choux following this guide. Some people do two rings, one inside the other. I prefer one thick ring, less faff, same result.

2. Make the choux pastry

  1. Put the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a proper rolling boil, the butter needs to be completely melted. Remove from heat and dump in all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until it forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides. This takes about 2 minutes of proper arm work.
    Put the pan back on medium heat for another minute, stirring constantly. You'll see a thin film form on the bottom of the pan. That's what you want, it means the flour's cooked.

3. Add the eggs

  1. Transfer the dough to your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Let it cool for 5 minutes, if it's too hot, the eggs will scramble. Beat the eggs in a jug. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs bit by bit. You might not need all of them. Stop when the mixture is glossy and falls from the paddle in a thick ribbon that takes a few seconds to disappear back into the mass. Too runny and your choux won't hold its shape.

4. Pipe the ring

  1. Transfer to your piping bag. Following your template, pipe a thick ring, about 5cm wide. Then pipe another ring directly on top. If you're feeling fancy, pipe a third ring in the groove where the two meet. Brush with egg wash (carefully, don't deflate it) and sprinkle with flaked almonds.

5. Bake the choux

  1. Heat your oven to 200°C. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce to 180°C and bake for another 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown. The most common mistake is underbaking. It should be properly brown and feel light when you pick it up. Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and let it cool in there for 30 minutes. This stops it collapsing.

6. Make the praline paste

  1. While that's cooling, make your praline. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Keep them moving so they don't burn. Put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and heat without stirring until it turns a deep amber colour. Chuck in the hot hazelnuts, stir once, then immediately pour onto a lined baking sheet. Leave to cool completely, it'll be rock hard.
    Break it into pieces and blitz in a food processor. First it'll be a powder, then suddenly it'll turn into a smooth, runny paste. This takes ages, at least 10 minutes of processing. Scrape down the sides occasionally. Keep going until it's completely smooth.

7. Make the pastry cream base

  1. Heat the milk in a saucepan until just steaming. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale, then whisk in the cornflour. Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return everything to the pan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until it's thick and bubbling. This takes about 3-4 minutes. It needs to properly boil for at least a minute to cook out the cornflour.
    Transfer to a bowl, press clingfilm directly on the surface, and cool completely. You can speed this up by sitting the bowl in ice water.

8. Finish the mousseline

  1. Once the pastry cream is completely cold, beat it with the paddle attachment until smooth. With the mixer running, add the butter bit by bit. It might look curdled at some point, keep going, it'll come together. Once all the butter's in, add your praline paste and beat until smooth. It should be thick enough to pipe but still creamy.

9. Assemble

  1. Cut the choux ring in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Pipe the praline cream generously on the bottom half, use a star nozzle if you want it to look professional. Be generous. Place the top back on and dust with icing sugar.

Notes

  • Praline paste keeps for months in a jar in the fridge. Make extra.
  • The unfilled choux can be frozen. Refresh in a hot oven for 5 minutes.
  • Mousseline is temperature-sensitive. If it splits, it's usually too cold. Leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes and beat again.
  • No food processor? You can buy praline paste from French specialty shops, but homemade is miles better.
  • Weather matters. Don't attempt this on a humid day. The choux will go soggy in minutes.