French cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Paris-Brest

Choux pastry ring filled with nutty praline buttercream and topped with toasted almond flakes.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 625 ml whole milk
• 125 ml water
• 300 g butter
• 150 g flour
• 4 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g sugar
• 45 g cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200 g hazelnut praline (or nougat)
• 50 g almond flakes

Instructions

1. For the cream, bring 500 ml of the milk to a boil, whisk the egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch, stir in the hot milk and cook everything while stirring for 2 min into a thick cream; cover with cling film and let cool completely.
2. For the choux pastry, bring the water, the remaining 125 ml milk, 100 g of the butter and salt to a boil, stir in the flour all at once and cook the dough for 2 min until it forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the bottom of the pot; let cool slightly and work in the eggs one at a time.
3. Fill the dough into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe two 20 cm diameter rings side by side onto a baking sheet plus a third ring over the seam; sprinkle with almond flakes.
4. Bake in the oven preheated to 190°C for 35-40 min until the ring is deep golden brown and dry, leaving the oven door slightly ajar for the last 5 min so it doesn't collapse.
5. Beat the remaining 200 g soft butter until white and fluffy for 5 min, stir in the praline and add the cold cream spoon by spoon until a smooth, airy buttercream forms.
6. Halve the cooled ring horizontally, pipe the cream in large rosettes onto the base, place the lid on top and serve the cake well chilled.