Paris-Brest
A ring of crisp choux pastry scattered with toasted almonds filled with silky smooth and rich praline mousseline cream. The contrast between the two is what makes this a French pâtisserie classic!
Ingredients
For the choux pastry
- 125 ml water
- 125 ml whole milk
- 110 gr unsalted butter
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 150 gr plain flour
- 5 egg room temperature
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 50 gr flaked almonds
- icing sugar for dusting
For the praline
- 150 gr hazelnuts blanched
- 150 gr caster sugar
- 4 tbsp water
For the praline mousseline cream
- 500 ml whole milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 100 gr caster sugar
- 50 gr corn starch
- 250 gr unsalted butter room temperature
- 200 gr praline paste from above
Equipment
- stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
- piping bag with 1.5cm plain nozzle - star nozzle for filling, optional but nice
- food processor for praline
- kitchen thermometer helpful but not essential
- plate for tracing
Instructions
1. Draw your template
- Trace a 20cm circle on baking paper and flip it over so the pencil is underneath. Pipe following this guide.
2. Make the choux pastry
- Bring the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a rolling boil. Off the heat, tip in all the flour at once and stir hard until it forms a smooth ball that pulls from the sides, about 2 minutes. Return to medium heat for a minute, stirring, until a thin film forms on the pan base.
3. Add the eggs
- Transfer to the mixer with the paddle and cool 5 minutes. Beat the eggs in a jug and add gradually on medium speed. Stop when the mixture is glossy and falls from the paddle in a thick ribbon. You may not need all of them.
4. Pipe the ring
- Pipe a thick ring (about 5cm wide) following the template, then a second ring directly on top, and a third in the groove if you like. Brush gently with egg wash and scatter with flaked almonds.
5. Bake
- Heat the oven to 200°C. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce to 180°C and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until deep golden brown and light in the hand. Turn the oven off, prop the door with a wooden spoon, and cool inside for 30 minutes.
6. Make the praline paste
- Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan for about 5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Heat the sugar and water in a heavy pan, without stirring, until deep amber. Stir in the hot hazelnuts, then pour onto a lined tray and cool completely until hard. Break up and blitz in a processor, past the powder stage, for at least 10 minutes, until smooth and runny.
7. Make the pastry cream base
- Heat the milk until steaming. Whisk the yolks and sugar until pale, then whisk in the cornflour. Pour on the hot milk, whisking, return to the pan, and cook over medium heat, whisking, until thick and bubbling. Boil for a full minute to cook out the cornflour. Transfer to a bowl, press clingfilm on the surface, and cool completely.
8. Finish the mousseline
- Beat the cold pastry cream smooth with the paddle. With the mixer running, add the butter bit by bit. If it looks curdled, keep going. Add the praline paste and beat until smooth and pipeable.
9. Assemble
- Split the choux ring horizontally with a serrated knife. Pipe the mousseline generously onto the bottom half (star nozzle for a professional finish). Replace the top 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.