Paris Brest Recipes

Steps:

• Male the pastry wreath: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trace a 9-inch circle onto a sheet of parchment. Flip parchment, making sure pencil mark is still visible, and place on a baking sheet.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in the flour until combined.
• Return pan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring vigorously, until mixture pulls away from the sides and a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and transfer contents to a bowl to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition, and waiting until each is entirely incorporated before adding the next egg. Use immediately.
• Transfer pate a choux dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Pipe a tiny dot under each corner of parchment, pressing to adhere parchment to baking sheet. Then pipe dough, tracing outline, into sixteen 1 3/4-inch mounds, holding pastry bag upright and keeping pressure consistent.
• Whisk remaining egg with pinch salt. Brush egg over top of pastry wreath.
• Bake until pastry just starts to puff, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until pastry is fully puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Turn oven off, remove wreath, and pierce top and sides about 8 times using the tip of a sharp knife to release steam. Return to oven, and prop door open with a wooden spoon. Let stand for 1 hour to dry.
• Transfer pastry wreath on parchment to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
• Fill and decorate the pastry wreath: Whisk heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Separate pastry wreath into top and bottom halves using a serrated knife.
• Spread about 1 1/2 cups pastry cream over bottom ring. Pipe whipped cream in a swirl using 1/2-inch closed star tip. Reposition top pieces of pastry wreath over filling. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Make praline:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Toast hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan in oven until skins split and nuts are golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven (leave oven on), then wrap hazelnuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 5 to 10 minutes. Rub hazelnuts in towel to remove loose skins (some skins may not come off), then transfer hazelnuts to a small bowl, discarding skins. While hazelnuts steam, toast almonds in baking pan until golden, 5 to 8 minutes, then add to bowl with hazelnuts. Lightly grease pan and set aside.
• Cook sugar in a dry small heavy skillet over moderate heat, swirling skillet, until sugar begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling skillet, until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and, working quickly, stir in nuts to coat, then transfer mixture to greased baking pan, spreading slightly. Let stand at room temperature until hardened and cool, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer praline to a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Coarsely crush praline in bag using a rolling pin or bottom of a heavy skillet, then transfer three fourths to a food processor and purée until it becomes a smooth, creamy "butter," 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve remaining crushed praline for garnish.
• Make cream filling:
• Bring milk to a simmer in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. While milk heats, whisk together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl.
• Add hot milk to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, then transfer mixture to saucepan and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, whisking (mixture will become thick and lumpy). Simmer, whisking constantly, 3 minutes (mixture will become smooth). Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Transfer to a clean bowl and chill pastry cream, its surface covered with wax paper, until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Beat heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Beat pastry cream in a large bowl with mixer until smooth, then add praline "butter" and beat until incorporated. Fold in whipped cream, one third at a time, gently but thoroughly, then cover surface of hazelnut cream with wax paper and chill until ready to use.
• Make choux pastry:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Trace a 9-inch circle with a pencil on a 12-inch square of parchment or wax paper, then trace a 5-inch circle inside it. Turn paper over (circles will still be visible) and put on a large baking sheet.
• Bring water to a boil with butter, granulated sugar, and salt in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to moderate. Add flour all at once and cook, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan, about 1 minute. Continue to cook and stir vigorously (to dry out mixture) 3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and cool mixture, stirring occasionally, until warm to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes. Add whole eggs 1 at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until dough is smooth.
• Transfer dough to pastry bag fitted with plain tip and pipe 3 concentric rings to fill space between traced circles on parchment, then pipe 2 more on top to cover seams between bottom rings. Lightly brush pastry with some egg wash, then scatter almonds over pastry and dust with 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar.
• Bake choux pastry until golden and well puffed, 20 to 25 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until deep golden and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes more. Immediately prick top of pastry in 8 to 10 places with tip of a small sharp knife (to release steam) and continue to bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer pastry (on parchment) to a rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Halve pastry horizontally with a serrated knife and carefully invert top onto work surface. Remove and discard any wet dough from interior of top and bottom. Transfer hazelnut cream to cleaned and dried pastry bag fitted with star tip and pipe cream decoratively into bottom half of pastry, then carefully reinvert top half over it. Sprinkle top with reserved praline and dust with additional confectioners sugar.

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.