Best 4 Paris Brest Recipes

PARIS-BREST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a small pan containing about 2-3 cups of hot water onto the bottom of your oven ( directly onto the bottom of the oven) to generate steam. Lightly grease a large baking sheet with shortening and then dust lightly with flour. Use a 10 inch pan as a template and draw a 10 inch circle onto the flour dusted sheet using a toothpick. Set aside.
• Place the 4 eggs into a small measuring cup and mix with a fork to combine, set aside.
• Combine the milk, water, salt and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a full boil, add the flour all at once and stir to make a paste. Continue to stir over the heat for about 40 seconds until the paste dries a little. Remove from heat and place paste into a mixing bowl. Let cool about 4 minutes.
• With a mixer on low, mix the paste and slowly add the beaten eggs. Mix slowly but thoroughly until all of the eggs have been added. Place the paste into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round decorating tip. Pipe the paste out onto the sheet pan following the 10 inch ring you outlined. Pipe a second ring around the inside next to this ring. Finally, pipe another ring on top of these two rings. Lightly paint the set of rings with the remaining 1 beaten egg and press the sliced almonds into the paste.
• Place in the oven on the lowest shelf and bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake about 12 minutes more or until brown. Remove form the oven and using a long serrated knife slice off the top half of the puffed ring. Remove any bits of raw dough on the inside of the ring. Replace the top and place back in the oven to crisp the dough, about 5 more minutes. Cool on a rack.
• To Make The Filling: Whip the pastry cream until smooth. Place the heavy cream into a bowl along with the vanilla and beat on high until soft peaks are formed. Add in the confectioners' sugar and beat a little more. Fold the pastry cream in with the whipped cream and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the cream mixture into the ring and then replace the top. If you wish, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.

PARIS-BREST CUSTARD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. On a large piece of parchment paper, trace a circle 10 inches in diameter. Use this parchment paper to line a baking sheet, pencil side down (you should still be able to see the circle). In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and granulated sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running and, working 1 egg at a time, add 3 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add 1 more egg and mix until incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and using the pencil line as a guide, pipe the dough onto baking sheet in a ring. Pipe a second ring around the first one, hugging it so the 2 rings touch closely all the way around. Pipe a third circle, using up all the remaining dough, on the crack between the first 2 rings so that all 3 rings touch closely, forming 1 big ring with 3 parts.
• Whisk the remaining egg with the water. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash (do not use all of it). Sprinkle the almonds over the surface. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet. The recipe can be made up to this point up to 24 hours in advance. Hold at room temperature, lightly covered with aluminum foil.
• Custard: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.
• Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.
• Whipped Cream: When ready to serve, whip the cream and brown sugar until stiff.
• Using a long serrated knife, cut the pastry ring in half horizontally. Set the top half aside. Using a clean pastry bag, pipe the custard filling onto the bottom half. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the custard. Place the top half of the pastry lightly on the whipped cream, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve, cut into sections.

PARIS BREST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to hot (400 F.) PREPARE CREAM PUFF DOUGH: Grease and flour 2 baking sheet.
• Using an 8-inch round cake pan as a guide, mark an 8-inch circle in the center of 1 of the prepared baking sheets.
• Combine the water, butter, orange zest and salt in a medium-size saucepan.
• Bring the mixture to boiling.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Immediately beat in the flour with a wooden spoon.
• Return the saucepan to low heat, and continue beating with the wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the side of the saucepan.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Continue to beat the dough until it is shiny.
• Scrape the dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a 3/4 inch plain tip.
• Holding the bag at a 45 degree angle, pipe a dough ring on top of the circle outline on the baking sheet.
• Pipe another dough ring inside and right next to the first ring.
• Pipe a third ring on top of the first two dough rings to cover the seam where they touch.
• With the remaining dough, pipe small puffs on the second baking sheet.
• Bake the pastry ring and puffs in the preheated hot oven 400 F.
• for 40 minutes, or until the tops of the ring and puffs are browned and crisp.
• Cut a small slit in each puff, and several slits in the ring to release the steam.
• Remove the ring and puffs to wire racks to cool.
• Cut the ring and puffs in half horizontally, and set them aside.
• PREPARE THE ORANGE CREAM FILLING: Beat the heavy cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form.
• Gradually beat in the confectioners Icing sugar until firm peaks form.
• Gently stir in the orange-flavored liqueur.
• cover the bowl, and refrigerate the filling.
• PREPARE THE CARAMEL GLAZE: Combine the granulated sugar, water and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Bring the mixture to boiling.
• Cook, without stirring, until the glaze is light amber and a candy thermometer inserted in the glaze registers 350 F.
• Seat the saucepan in a larger pan of cold water until the candy thermometer registers 240 F.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE PARIS BREST, spoon some of the filling into the bottom half of each PUFF.
• Place the BOTTOM HALF of the pastry RING on a serving plate, and spoon the remaining filling into the bottom half of the ring.
• Using a fork, dip the outside TOP HALF of each puff into the glaze,* and place the glazed puff tops on a wire rack to set.
• Place the TOP HALF of the pastry RING on the filled bottom half.
• Place the glazed puff TOPS on the filled puff BOTTOMS.
• Set the filled puffs on top of the filled ring.
• Using a small spoon, drizzle the remaining glaze over the filled ring.
• Serve immediately.
• *NOTE:If the glaze in the saucepan hardens, reheat it briefly in a microwave oven, or in the saucepan over hot water.

PARIS BREST

Steps:

• Place a bowl and beaters in the freezer to chill. You will need these later. STEP 1: Pâte à Choux Preheat oven to 400°F(200C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper. 1. Heat the water, salt and butter until the butter melts. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. 2. Immediately add the flour and stir quickly with a wooden spoon, until smooth. 3. Set the mixture over low heat and stir for about 30 seconds. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes. 4. Add 1 egg and beat it thouroughly into the mixture. Beat in the second egg until the mixture is smooth. 5. In a small bowl, beat the third egg. Gradually add enough of this egg to the dough until it becomes shiny and soft enough to just fall from a spoon. 6. Pipe the dough into finger or doughnut shaped rounds. They should be about 1-1/4-inches in width. Brush lightly with the egg glaze and using the back of a fork, very gently push down any points because they will burn. 7. Bake about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cut off the top third of each puff. Transfer to a rack to cool. STEP 2: Crème Chantilly: 1. Pour the cream into the chilled bowl. Add the sugar and the vanilla and whip with the chilled beaters until stiff. Refrigerate until ready to use. STEP 3: Hard icing: Set a small bowl with the butter, icing sugar and milk, inside a larger bowl filled with hot water and blend well until the mix is an even spreadable consistency. It must not be too thick for eclairs because the filling is quite sweet. The icing should be quite thin (2-3mm) and set hard when chilled. The icing should idealy be like a delicate shell. STEP 4: for best results assemble soon before serving: Fill the puffs with the chilled strawberries. Use a pastry bag with a star tip to pipe cream onto each puff. Allow the berries to peek out from underneath. Set the top part of the puff on top and dust if not already iced.