Paris-Brest

Paris-Brest

Paris-Brest is a classic French pastry that takes its name from the Paris-to-Brest bicycle race. Created in 1910 by pastry chef Louis Durand, the dessert consists of a ring of choux pastry filled with praline-flavored cream and topped with slivered almonds and powdered sugar.

Ingredients

**For the choux dough:**
– 1 cup of water
– 1/2 cup butter
– 1 cup of wheat flour
– 1 pinch of salt
– 4 eggs

**For the hazelnut cream:**
– 1 cup hazelnut spread (like Nutella)
– 1 cup of whipped cream
– Powdered sugar to taste (optional)

**Decoration (optional):**
– Toasted flaked almonds
– Powdered sugar

Instructions

For the choux dough:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a saucepan, heat the water and butter until the butter melts and the water boils.

3. Add the flour and a pinch of salt all at once and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  The dough should be smooth and shiny.

6. Transfer the choux dough to a pastry bag fitted with a crimped nozzle.

7. Form a large ring of choux dough on the prepared baking sheet.  Then, form another ring of the same size just above the first one.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.  Do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes to prevent them from lowering.

For the hazelnut cream:

1. In a bowl, mix the hazelnut spread (like Nutella) with the whipped cream until well combined and the cream is smooth and airy.

Mounting:

1. Once the choux dough rings are completely cooled, cut one of them in half horizontally.

2. Fill the lower ring with the hazelnut cream.

3. Place the top ring on the cream and press lightly.

4. Decorate with toasted flaked almonds and sprinkle icing sugar on top if you wish.

5. Serve the Paris-Brest in portions and enjoy this delicious French dessert.