Description
Paris-Brest is a classic French dessert featuring a crisp, airy choux pastry ring filled with a rich almond cream. This dessert combines the light texture of pâte à choux with a luscious, vanilla-infused pastry cream whipped with butter and almond butter, topped with toasted sliced almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar for an elegant finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pâte à choux
- 1 recipe pâte à choux
- Sliced almonds, for topping
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Pastry Cream Filling
- 1 cup (226 g) whole milk, divided
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (32 g) granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (32 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large (54 g) egg yolks
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup almond butter
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set them aside.
- Make pâte à choux dough: Prepare your pâte à choux dough according to your chosen recipe, ensuring it’s smooth and ready for piping.
- Pipe pastry rings: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip with the choux dough. Pipe thirty 2-inch circles onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart to allow for expansion. Brush each ring lightly with egg wash and sprinkle generously with sliced almonds.
- Bake initial rise: Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 10 minutes to allow the pastries to puff up.
- Finish baking: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C) and bake the rings for another 35-40 minutes until they are golden brown and fully baked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare for pastry cream: Line a sheet pan with plastic wrap and set aside for the pastry cream to cool later.
- Heat vanilla milk mixture: In a medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup (170 g) of whole milk, 2 tablespoons (25 g) butter, 2 1/2 tablespoons (32 g) granulated sugar, the scraped seeds and pod of the vanilla bean. Heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
- Mix dry ingredients and egg yolks: In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, all-purpose flour, and the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons (32 g) sugar. Add the remaining 1/4 cup (56 g) of milk, whisking to combine. Then whisk in the egg yolks thoroughly.
- Temper eggs: Remove the vanilla bean pod from the hot milk mixture. Slowly pour half of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously to prevent curdling. Then strain this mixture through a sieve into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk.
- Cook pastry cream: Return the saucepan to medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil while whisking continuously. Cook for 1 additional minute to thicken, then remove from heat.
- Chill pastry cream: Spread the pastry cream in an even, thin layer on the plastic-wrapped sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface to prevent skin formation and refrigerate until cool to the touch.
- Whip pastry cream with butter and almond butter: Transfer the chilled pastry cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high for about 1 minute until fluffy. Add the softened butter and almond butter, whisk on medium-high for 1 minute, scrape down the sides, then whisk on high for another minute to fully incorporate and lighten the filling. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip.
- Slice pastry rings: Using a serrated knife, horizontally slice each baked and cooled choux ring in half.
- Assemble and chill: Pipe the almond cream filling generously onto the bottom halves, then place the top halves over the filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the filling to set properly.
- Serve: Dust the assembled Paris-Brest lightly with powdered sugar before serving for an elegant finish.
Notes
- Make sure the choux pastry rings cool completely before slicing to avoid tearing.
- When tempering eggs, pour the hot milk slowly and whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- Placing plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream while cooling prevents a skin from forming.
- Almond butter enhances the nutty flavor in the filling, but can be substituted with hazelnut or peanut butter for variation.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature for best flavor and texture.
- Leftover pastry cream can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: Paris-Brest, choux pastry dessert, almond cream filling, French pastry, classic French dessert
