The origins of Paris-Brest
As you probably know, Paris-Brest is a dessert created as a tribute to the famous Paris-Brest-Paris race. Louis Durand, a pastry chef from Maisons Laffitte, came up with the idea of using a bicycle wheel to represent his cake. He poured a choux pastry into a circle and filled it with praline mousseline cream. Originally, the cake featured crosses to represent the spokes, but this tradition has been lost (although some pastry chefs still do it).Making a Paris-Brest
The most complicated part of the Paris-Brest is undoubtedly the choux pastry. But I've given you a detailed breakdown in my article on chocolate éclairs. So you've got all you need to make a success of it! However, I'm now going to give you all the specific tips you need to successfully poach your Paris-Brest. To begin with, I recommend you make templates with a Velleda felt-tip pen directly on the parchment paper (circles between 6 and 8 cm). Turn the paper over to poach the side where there's no ink! [caption id="attachment_5278" align="alignnone" width="900"]
Trace circles with a felt-tip pen on the parchment paper to have a template to follow for poaching.[/caption]
Poaching Paris-Brest
Poaching is actually quite simple. You just need to know a few tricks. If you've drawn an 8 cm circle, make the first puff inside it (with an 8 or 10 mm plain tip). If your circle is 6 cm, make the first bead on the outside. Then pocket the second strand inside the first, taking care to start the circle in a different place than the first. This avoids having two seams in the same place. Finally, pocket a third puff of choux pastry, straddling the two underneath. [caption id="attachment_5274" align="alignnone" width="600"]
Stuffing the Paris-Brest: 2 strands glued together and a 3rd on top[/caption]
Then, using a fork dipped in water, score the choux pastry to make an even circle.
[caption id="attachment_5266" align="alignnone" width="600"]
Scratch the choux pastry to merge the different pastry strands.[/caption]
Sprinkle with slivered almonds and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.
Praline mousseline cream
Crème mousseline is a pastry cream (see my chocolate pastry cream recipe for the full recipe) into which butter (and of course praline paste for praline mousseline) is added. It's not terribly complicated, but you have to respect two basic rules:- cold pastry cream (to avoid melting the butter)
- have a well-creamed butter (so that it incorporates properly)
Adding praline to pastry cream to make a mousseline cream[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_5272" align="alignnone" width="600"]
The praline mousseline cream being assembled[/caption]
Paris-Brest assembly
Well, that's the hard part! Once the choux pastry circles are baked and cooled, all that's left to do is open them in half. Then, using a piping bag, fill them with praline mousseline. To make them look pretty, leave a little muslin around the edge. But don't be too generous with the first Paris-Brest, or you'll run out of muslin on the last ones. You'll always have time to come back a second time to fill in the smaller ones. To finish, place the hat back on each circle, sprinkle with powdered sugar (which I forgot, but the more attentive among you will have noticed!) and voilàààà! [caption id="attachment_5270" align="alignnone" width="600"]
An individual Paris-Brest CAP style[/caption]
Paris-Brest
Recipe for traditional Paris-Brest, CAP style
- pastry bag
- PF12 socket
Choux pastry
- 150 g T55 flour, sifted
- 250 g water
- 100 g butter, cut into small pieces
- 5 g salt
- 250 g whole eggs
- 50 g slivered almonds.
Praline mousseline cream
- 750 g whole milk
- 200 g caster sugar
- 200 g whole eggs
- 80 g cream powder
- 375 g butter
- 225 g praline
Pastry cream
Bring the milk to the boil in a large saucepan.
Meanwhile, vigorously mix the eggs, sugar and cream powder (the mixture does not need to be whitened).
When the milk boils, pour it over the egg/sugar mixture, stirring well. Return to the pan over low heat and whisk constantly until the cream thickens. Stop after a minute's boiling and pour into a glass dish. Chill in a cool place, remembering to remove the butter for the rest of the recipe.
Choux pastry
Start by tracing 6 or 8 cm circles on parchment paper. Turn the paper over before poaching the choux pastry.
Place the water, butter and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Stop at the first boil.
Remove from heat and add flour all at once. Mix well and return to the heat to dry out the breadcrumbs. It's ready when a whitish film has settled to the bottom of the pan. You can also check that the panade is homogeneous and makes a schplok-schplok sound when you shake the pan.
In a bowl, beat the whole eggs with a fork until the liquid is smooth.
Place the breadcrumbs in the bowl of a food processor and pulse at slow speed. Add a little beaten egg and wait for it to be incorporated. Repeat until the choux pastry becomes stiff again.
When the consistency is right, place the choux pastry in a pastry bag with a smooth 8-gauge tip and poach a first boudin around the template. Then poach a second puff stuck to the first and a third straddling the first 2.
Score the discs with a fork dipped in water and sprinkle with slivered almonds.
Bake the choux pastry at 180°C for 20 minutes. Once cooked, leave to cool completely.
Crème mousseline
Remove the cooled crème pâtissière and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the praline and pulse on medium speed.
Add the butter, softened into small pieces. Continue beating for 10 minutes until the mousseline cream is light and airy.
Paris-Brest assembly
Cut the choux pastry circles in half. Poach the crème mousseline, spilling a little over the edges. Close the discs and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
